Box Score
DECATUR, Ala. -- Fourth-ranked Concordia (Ore.) University capitalized on a Bruin fielding error in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull out a dramatic 3-2 win over Bellevue University in the opening pool play game at the NAIA Softball National Championship Thursday afternoon at the Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.
With the game knotted a 2-2, Cavalier catcher Kyndell Andrews led off the ninth with a single to left field and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt before scoring on a fielding error by Bruin short stop Jessica Guyle.
The Bruins (32-15) will continue pool play action on Friday, May 21 with a 2:30 p.m. contest against Simon Fraser (B.C.).
Sophomore Erica McCoy led the Bruins at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double. She scored both of BU's runs. Senior pitchers Alissa Crumley and Aly Bowers combined for nine strikeouts with Bowers taking the loss, falling to 10-6 in the season. Bowers allowed just two hits and fanned three Cavalier batters in 3.1 innings of relief.
Concordia pitcher Renee Santos (16-3) struck out 16, while scattering four hits to earn her 16th win of the season.
Bellevue scored the game's first run in the top of the third inning after McCoy doubled to left field, stole third, and scored on a passed ball by Andrews.
Concordia answered in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-run home run over the left field fence by Andrews to take a 2-1 lead.
The Bruins tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the fifth following a two-base throwing error by Cavalier second baseman Tina Garcia that allowed McCoy to score from second. McCoy reached base on a two-out single to left field and stole second before advancing home. McCoy stole four bases in the contest and Guyle registered three as the Bruins went 7-for-7 in stolen base attempts.
Bellevue threatened in the top of the eighth with runners on second and third and no outs. However, Santos got out of the jam with a strikeout and a double play to end the inning.
Line Score
Bellevue........001 010 000 - 2 4 1
Concordia.....000 200 001 - 3 8 1
WP: Santos (16-3)
LP: Bowers (10-6)
2B: BU - McCoy, Gawart; CU - Garcia
HR: CU - Andrews
