DECATUR, Ala.—Behind a two-run homer and a game-winning run by freshman Kyndell Andrews, Concordia survived in nine innings with a 3-2 victory over Bellevue University on Thursday.

With the win, Concordia improved to 33-5 on the season and 2-2 all-time at the NAIA Championships after going 1-2 in their only other appearance at the tournament in 2001. The Cavaliers will face Lindsey Wilson on Friday before rounding out pool play against Simon Fraser on Saturday. Bellevue fell to 32-15 and will face Simon Fraser on Friday.

Bellevue struck first in the third with a single run. Erica McCoy, who 3-for-3 on the day, hit a one-out double down the left-field line and quickly moved to third with a stolen base and a passed ball allowed McCoy to score before a groundout ended the stanza.  

The Cavs responded with a pair of runs in the fourth via a Kyndell Andrews’ homer. Tina Garcia initiated the attack with a two-out double to left field to set up Andrews, who smacked the go-ahead shot over the left-field fence to give CU its first lead of the day.

 

In the fifth inning, the Braves put together a two-out rally of their own to square the game at 2-2. McCoy once again instigated the offensive with a single to the left side. A stolen base put her at second while an error in the infield as Jessica Guyle slapped a ball to second allowed McCoy to take two bases and beat a throw to the plate.

 

The Braves threatened to take the lead in the top of the eighth with McCoy leading off with a single to right before a second stolen base put the runner in scoring position. Guyle reached safely on a fielder’s choice to third but failed to move McCoy to third on the play. The wait wouldn’t be long, however, as another passed ball moved both runners forward.  

 

After a strikeout, CU starter Renee Santos induced a pop up to second where Garcia, who was dashing away from the infield, pulled in the pop up to shallow right center in over-the-shoulder-fashion and turned to fire home to pick off the runner at the plate for the final out.   

 

In the bottom of the eight, a two-out walk from Cameron Way followed by a single by Becca Gawlista proved fruitless as Bellevue got out of the stanza with a grounder to short, but returning to bat in the ninth, CU would not be denied.

 

Andrews opened the inning with a single underneath the glove of the Bellevue shortstop and was successfully moved to second on a bunt off the bat of Courtney Wooden. A pop up to second registered the second out of the inning before the Braves elected to intentionally walk CU lead-off hitter Kayla Vickaryous to give the Cavs two on with two out.  

 

Batting second in the order and facing a 2-2 count, Mallory Callahan roped a single to short where a diving Guyle couldn’t immediately corral the ball. With the extra moment, Andrews made the turn around third and beat a throw to the plate with an outside slide for the walk-off win.

 

Concordia outhit Bellevue 8-4 in the contest with Vickaryous and Andrews each finishing 2-for-4. Aside from McCoy’s 3-hit day, Jenny Gawart was the lone Brave to record a hit against Santos, who pitched all nine frames for the complete-game win.

 

Santos issued a walk in the opening at bat and proceeded to notch 16 strikeouts while allowing the two runs, both of which were unearned. Alissa Crumley started for Bellevue and pitched 5 1/3 before being relieved by Aly Bowers. Crumly struck out six and allowed two earned runs while Bowers struck out three batters and allowed two hits and one run while being tagged for the loss.

 

Running time of the game was 2 hours and 23 minutes.