DECATUR, Ala.—Taking advantage of three runs in the top of the first, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) defeated Concordia 6-2 in the second day of pool play at the NAIA National Championships held at Wilson Morgan Park on Saturday morning.

With the loss, CU falls to 35-6 on the season and 1-1 in pool play after defeating Bellevue (Neb.) 3-2 on Thursday. Lindsey Wilson improved to 46-14 overall and evened its record at the tournament to 1-1 after falling to Simon Fraser 2-0 in the opener.

Simon Fraser (1-0) and Bellevue (0-1) face each other later in the day. Concordia’s pool play concludes with Simon Fraser on Monday while Lindsey Wilson will face Bellevue in the finale. Even with a Cavalier win against Simon Fraser, CU will need help to advance to the eight-team double-elimination bracket as Lindsey Wilson would hold the tiebreaker with the head-to-head win if both teams should finish with 2-1 records. The Cavs hold a tiebreaker against Bellevue and can claim the same advantage over Simon Fraser with a win on Monday. If three teams finish with 2-1 records, run differential will be used as the next tiebreaker.   

A pair of walks and a hit by pitch filled the bases for the Blue Raiders without recording an out in the first inning. Two wild pitches followed which allowed the first two runs to score without Lindsey Wilson needing to make contact with the bat.

Still with no outs, Jordan Gilland connected on a single to left with runners on first and third to give the Blue Raiders a 3-0 lead. Another wild pitch and a walk reloaded the bases before Renee Santos, in the circle in a relief appearance, struck out LWC pitcher Morgan Paschall for the first out and got a fielder’s choice force at home in the next at bat. Another strikeout, this time against third baseman Caren Ramiriz, finally ended the opening frame.

Kayla Vickaryous opened the home half of the first with a walk and would advance to third on a pair of grounders but would remain there as Paschall forced another ground out, this time to first, to end the threat.

Lindsey Wilson managed to extend its lead with two runs in the second inning with the aid of two walks, two stolen bases and an RBI single from Jamie Williams. Gilland notched her second RBI in as many innings with a sacrifice fly to left to score Megan Huckaby for the team’s fifth run.

Down 5-0, the Cavs were retired in order in the next three innings with only one ball making it to the outfield.

After creating their first five runs on only two hits. The Blue Raiders added a single run on three hits in the fifth with Ramirez notching an RBI single to left.  

Becca Gawlista led off the fifth with walk to break up 10 straight outs for the CU offense, but Gawlista was not able advance as Paschall would carry a no-hitter into the sixth where the Cavs would finally broke through with two runs on three hits.

After a groundout to lead the sixth, Vickaryous broke up the no hitter by legging out an infield single and was quickly followed by a bunt single from Mallory Callahan. Next to the plate, Ali Paz took a pitch to the shoulder to give the Cavs a bases-loaded situation for clean-up hitter Cameron Way where the junior first baseman smacked a single to center to score its two runs. A strikeout and a grounder to second ended the CU rally.  

Paschall earned the win for the Blue Raiders, pitching the complete game with three hits and three strikeouts. Santos, who entered for Pulfrey in the first inning, finished with 13 strikeouts, while scattering eight hits in the loss.

Lindsey Wilson finished with an 8-3 advantage in hits while neither team recorded an error in the field.