Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 IRVINE, Calif. – Ranked nationally in the NFCA DII Top 25 for the fourth straight week, the No. 19 Concordia Golden Eagles visited local rival Vanguard University on Thursday for a quick doubleheader.
Both pitching staffs came to play and it was up to the hitters on both teams to solve what they saw at the plate.

Game 1: No. 19 CUI 5, Vanguard 3

Catcher Morgan Kneubuhler continued her recent hot streak with another multi-hit outing for the Green and Gold. She helped CUI get in front 2-0 early with a RBI single in the first inning and then a RBI double in the third. Leadoff batter Jessica Im set the table and wound up scoring on both of Kneubuhler's base knocks.

Junior left-hander Jayden Nishi and sophomore righty Kailey Estes combined to pitch all of game one in the circle. Nishi did not allow the Lions to score in the first three innings and after they briefly tied the game in the fourth, the CUI offense immediately responded.

Senior Caitlyn Campbell provided a clutch two-run single with two outs in the fifth to give CUI a 4-2 advantage. Alyssa Struthers followed that up with her own RBI single to left-center to make it 5-2 in favor of the Golden Eagles.
Estes limited Vanguard to just one run and only five hits in her three frames. She earned her second save of the season. Nishi – who was recently named PacWest Pitcher of the Week - improved to 7-1 with the victory.
Veronica Moore also supplied three hits while manning first base.

Game 2: Vanguard 2, No. 19 CUI 1

Kacie Gossett got the nod in the circle for the rematch and limited the Lions to only six hits and two unearned runs over the first six innings. Concordia got on the board in the top of the fifth when Audrey Robles singled home Im to slice a 2-0 deficit in half.

CUI trailed 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth before getting the potential tying run on base with one out. Alyssa Struthers singled and then moved into scoring position when Robles got hit by a pitch moments later.

However, the Lions were able to weasel their way out of the jam and record the final two outs without allowing the tying run to cross the plate.

Concordia will play again this Saturday back at home for the first time in nearly a month. The Golden Eagles welcome the regular Eagles of Biola University to town with a doubleheader set to begin at 12 p.m. PT

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