ROCHESTER, Minn. - The Golden Bears (30-21) dropped their first game in their NSIC Tournament losing 8-0 to #17 Augustana. Concordia stayed alive as they won 5-4 via a walk off sac fly from Alicia Meiser (Circle Pines, Minn.) over Wayne State. Concordia lost 14-6 in the night cap, as they were eliminated and finished fourth in the NSIC Tournament. GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX | GAME 3 BOX
The Wildcats got on the board first scoring an unearned run as a dropped pop up cost CU. Kluever left after the play and Stephanie Kappes (Circle Pines, Minn.) entered. She gave up a home run to make it 2-0 in favor of Wayne State. The Golden found a way to answer in the bottom of the first Tjornhom singled and scored Meiser from second brining CU within one.
Kappes found herself in a little jam in the second inning but was able to pitch out of it keeping WSC off the board. In CU's half of the second inning they failed to get a runner on and went down in order. Wayne State didn't do much better in the top of third picking up a one out walk but nothing else. Concordia third inning looked similar as Meiser reached with one out, she did get to third with two down but Tjornhom failed to drive her in.
Wayne State loaded the bases in the fourth picking up back to back singles to lead off the inning. After a sac bunt advancing runners to second and third another singled followed to load the bases with one out. Kappes got out of it getting a pair of fielder's choice ground balls to short stop. The first one saw Larsen throw home to get the second out and then she flipped over a ground ball to Roth at second for the third out of the inning.
Concordia got three straight singles to start the inning from M. Feuerbach, Larsen and Roth. Cassie Bertlesen (Oakdale, Minn.) grounded in to a fielder's choice as M. Feuerbach was out at home. Katie Feuerbach (Iowa City, Iowa) hit a ground ball softly to second, Sandel threw home but the ball was dropped by the WSC catcher allowing Larsen and Roth as CU took the 4-3 lead after four.
Kappes put Wayne State down in order in the top of the fifth inning as Concordia held a 3-2 lead. Brennan led off with a single to center and then after a pop out from Tjornhom, M. Feuerbach drew a walk to put runners on first and second. With two out Roth singled to right allowing Brennan to score and gave CU a 4-2 lead.
Kappes was able to do it again the sixth inning as well as CU took a 4-2 lead into in the seventh inning after they failed to score in their half of the sixth inning.
The Wildcats got a leadoff single to third and then a double from Sandel as the ball hit off the top of the fence and came back into play. After a foul pop out, Williams singled driving in a pair of runs and tying the game. The Wildcats left two more on base as the game wen to the bottom of the seventh tied at four. The Golden Bears went down in order in their half of the seventh.
In the extra frame WSC got a leadoff double and then a single to place runners on first and third with no outs. Kappes got a big strike out and then a ground out to second as she tried to escape the jam. She then hit a batter before getting a hard line out to first base. Roth drew a walk to start the eighth inning and then Bertelsen was hit by a pitch as CU started to threaten. Katie Feuerbach tried to sac bunt the runners but ended up reaching as WSC couldn't make a play. With the bases loaded and no body out Anderson reached on a fielder's choice as Megan Revoir (Hammond, Wis.) was out at home. Meiser came through with a sac fly scoring pitch runner Jade Ptacek (Sioux Falls, S. D.) from third.