Softball Sweeps Aside Dakota Wesleyan in South Dakota
2016 season Photo by John Hicks
by Noah Rohlfing
Concordia’s softball team swept a GPAC doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan on Saturday in Mitchell, South Dakota.
The wins lift Concordia to 24-10 on the season (8-4 GPAC).
Concordia jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first three innings and took control of the game. Junior Michaela Woodward held Dakota Wesleyan at bay, not allowing any runs through the first five innings. The Bulldogs added another insurance run in the fifth inning to take a 4-0 lead. Concordia held on for a 4-1 victory in the first game.
Woodward led Condordia with a complete game victory, only giving up six hits and striking out three Dakota Wesleyan players. Freshman Taryn Thomas added two hits and two RBIs.
The second game of the doubleheader started with four runs from Concordia in the first inning. Sophomore Leah Kalkwarf had an RBI double to kickstart the Bulldogs. The game started to tighten up, and by the fifth inning the score was 8-5 Bulldogs. The rest of the game was an offensive battle. Dakota Wesleyan cut into the Concordia lead with runs in the fifth and sixth to make it 8-7. The Bulldogs pulled away with four runs in the top of the seventh to take an 12-7 victory.
Junior Autumn Owens led the Bulldogs with three hits, a home run and four RBIs. Kalkwarf also had three hits and two RBIs.
Up next for the Bulldogs is a non-conference doubleheader against Kansas Wesleyan on Thursday, April 13. First pitch from Plum Creek Park is scheduled for 3 p.m.
