CU senior Tina Garcia reached base in six of her seven at bats against Simon Fraser on Monday.
CU Season Ends in Epic 12-inning Affair
BOX SCORE
DECATUR, Ala.—After a win in extra innings to start the tournament, Concordia faced the opposite fate with a 7-6 loss in 12 innings to Simon Fraser in the third and final game of pool play at the NAIA Softball National Championships on Monday.
Simon Fraser (24-14) concluded pool play with a 3-0 record and qualified as one of eight teams in the double-elimination tournament. Concordia’s season ended with a 35-7 overall record.
Concordia struck first with two runs in the first inning and a solo score in the second before SFU stormed back with four unanswered. The Clan plated a pair of runners in the fourth and repeated the effort in the fifth to stake a 4-3 lead.
The Cavs responded with an RBI single by Kayla Vickaryous in the home half of the fifth to nod the contest at 4-4.
Although both teams generated a slew of chances, neither team could post the go-ahead run as the score remained unchanged for six straight innings. Simon Fraser finally stopped the streak with three runs on three hits and two errors in the top of the 12th.
Now down 7-4, Concordia managed to load the bases and score runs on an RBI single from Ali Paz and a second via a Tina Garcia walk. Coming in to bat for Kyndell Andrews, who was injured on a collision at the plate in the previous inning, Ashlie Allison drew three straight balls to open the at bat before SFU pitcher Jennifer Van Egdom launched two straight strikes to create a full count.
The last game in action and with representatives from more than a dozen different teams in attendance throughout the final frames, a swinging strikeout would end the threat and the game more than four hours after the opening pitch.
Simon Fraser outhit the Cavaliers 17-13 while both teams were charged with two errors. Both teams drew nine walks in the game and stranded 19 runners in the game. All 13 CU hits were singles while SFU registered four extra-base knocks, all of which were doubles.
Concordia stranded the bases loaded on four occasions: in the first, third, sixth and 12th innings.
Seven different pitchers were used in the game with Van Egdom earning the win by hurling the final 6 2/3 for the Clan. Van Egdom allowed two runs on five hits while striking out two and walking two.
Bethany Dempster, who had recorded a win against SFU during the regular season, pitched seven strong innings in relief while suffering the loss. Dempster allowed three runs (two earned) on eight hits in the outing. Renee Santos started for the Cavs and went 4 1/3, giving up two runs on seven hits.
Garcia, a senior, led the Cavs with a 4-for-5 performance at the plate. Garcia, who also had two walks in the game, had three RBI including a 2-run single in the first inning. Ali Paz went 3-for-7 with two RBI while Vickaryous and Cameron Way both had two hits and a run scores. Nine different players recorded a hit for SFU, with Carly Moir leading the way with a 4-for-7 day at the plate.