Bulldog Softball Falls to Morningside in Doubleheader
#23 Junior Hhana Haro up to bat
Photo Courtesy of Olivia Dunklau
By Olivia Dunklau
The Bulldogs lost both games to the Morningside Mustangs on Tuesday night at the Plum Creek Ballfields. The score was 4-3 in the first game and 14-1 in the second game.
While battling another windy game out of centerfield, the Bulldogs just came close to closing it out on the Mustangs in game one.
“Anytime you are in a close game in softball it comes down to who executes the little things better,” said coach Shawn Semler. “We didn’t execute a sacrifice bunt and didn’t put the ball in play a couple of times with runners on and left them stranded. It’s the little things that add up in close games.”
The Bulldogs started off with two hits in the bottom of the first inning to gain some momentum but wouldn’t score until the second inning. In the third inning, an error on Morningside’s defense would help two runs make their way in for Concordia. Sophomore Kylee Nixon singled in one of those runs.
By the fourth inning, sophomore Camry Moore had pitched those scoreless innings to a quiet Morningside. Freshman Caitlyn McGarvie would record a run batted in with a single to bring the score to 3-0, the Bulldogs in the lead.
Within the fourth inning, the Mustangs began to hit off of Moore, bringing in two runs, making the score 3-2. By the fifth inning, the Mustangs would rally in two more runs and taking their first lead at 4-3. The sixth and seventh innings went scoreless leaving the Mustangs with the victory.
In the second game, freshman Brooke Townsend would start in the circle pitching. The Mustangs easily found the gaps in Concordia’s defense by scoring eight runs in the first inning. By the bottom of the third inning, Morningside would find five more runs and leading 13-0.
The Bulldogs rotated in many different pitchers. Seeing to the mound was also freshmen Jerzi Rowe, Zoe Flores and Ashley Evans. The Bulldogs did find one run which would bring the final score to 14-1.
“We have to figure out what we are going to do at some spots in our lineup,” Semler said. “Our practices between now and Doane will focus on simulating game situations with a couple of different lineups and see which give us the best opportunity to win games.”
The Bulldogs are now at a 17-5 overall record. They will next face Doane on Apr 7 in a doubleheader at 4 and 7 p.m. in Crete, Nebraska.
