Orvella leads Cavs to St. Martin’s Split

3/26/2014 3:45:00 PM

LACEY, Wash.—After a complete game by junior Danielle Orvella (Seattle, Wash./Kentridge H.S.) in the opener, Concordia gave up a late lead to settle for a midweek split (3-1, 5-7) in a non-conference doubleheader at St. Martin's University on Wednesday afternoon.

The loss in the second game of the twinbill snapped a nine-game winning streak for Concordia, who ended the day at 16-12 on the season. St. Martin's, meanwhile, remained squared at 13-13 on the year.

Concordia was originally scheduled to return to CCC action this week with home doubleheaders planned against Oregon Tech on March 28 and Southern Oregon on March 29, but with expected showers heading towards the metro area, the weekend slate has been moved to April 25-26.

Concordia's next scheduled matchup is now slated for April 4-5 at Eastern Oregon and The College of Idaho.

Game 1 – Concordia 3, St. Martin's 1

Posting three two-out runs in the fifth inning, Concordia defeated St. Martin's 3-1 in the opening game on Wednesday.

Meghan Luebbert (Sandy, Ore./Sandy H.S.) started the attack with a walk and immediately moved to second on a Rielly Byrd (Puyallup, Wash./Franklin Pierce H.S.) single to left. A Saints' error allowed Luebbert to round third and advance home for the first score of the game for the Cavs before Taylor Copher (Sandy, Ore./Sandy H.S.) and Cassidy Horner (Cottonwood, Calif./West Valley H.S.) provided the additional damage with RBI singles. SMU pitcher Sam Munger got out of the jam by fielding a grounder back to the pitcher's circle.

Munger allowed just five hits in the complete-game performance but took the loss with three of those hits occurring in the tide-turning fifth frame. Munger struck out four but walked five batters.

Megan Malvick (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam H.S.) reached on a bunt single in the sixth and Bussey on a single to left for CU's remaining two hits.

Orvella allowed eight hits but just one run to pick up her third win of the year.

Game 2 – St. Martin's 7, Concordia 5

Trailing by two runs and down to their final six outs, the Saints plated four runners in the sixth inning to snap Concordia's nine-game winning streak.

Both teams opened the game with single runs in the first inning as Cassidy Horner (Cottonwood, Calif./West Valley H.S.) drove in Meghan Luebbert (Sandy, Ore./Sandy H.S.) with a single to right for the Cavs and Taviah Jenkins earning an RBI after being hit by a pitch while batting with the bases loaded for SMU.

After a clean second inning and having their first two batters retired, Concordia sent four runners home in the third by stringing together four straight hits. Horner, Taylor Copher (Sandy, Ore./Sandy H.S.) and Taylor Bussey (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie H.S.) all singled to the outfield before Kate Santos (Gladstone, Ore./Gladstone H.S.) smacked a double to right for the final blow.

The Saints managed to get two of those runs back in the home half of the third with Dani Wall belting a 2-run double to center.

Concordia went down in order in the fifth and seventh inning, but threatened in the sixth by placing runners at second and third only to see SMU starter Kaylee Lawson work her way out of the dilemma with a popup to second base.

With three straight singles, SMU pounced immediately to start the sixth. With the bases loaded, Lucy Baldovino (Medford, Ore./South Medford H.S.) came in to relief for the Cavs and registered two quick outs but sandwiching a single by Lacey McGladrey between walks to Mary Dettling and Alyssa Slate, SMU generated the go-ahead runs.

SMU outhit Concordia 12 to 10 and was not charged an error. The Cavaliers, however, were struck with four miscues in the contest.