Cavs outscore Eagles 12-0 in Tuesday sweep

4/15/2014 6:07:00 PM

PORTLAND, Ore.—Containing its scorching play, Concordia softball swept Northwest University 4-0 and 8-0 in a Cascade Collegiate Conference doubleheader played at Delta Park on Tuesday.

With the sweep, Concordia (24-14, 16-4 CCC) has now won six straight and 17 of its last 20 games after starting the year at 7-11. Northwest fell to 1-25 overall and 1-19 in the CCC.

Concordia and Northwest will resume play this weekend with twinbills at Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon.

Game 1 – Concordia 4, Northwest 0

Limiting the Eagle to two hits, Concordia starter McKenzie Marshall (Oregon City, Ore./Oregon City H.S.) (13-4) won her fifth straight start on Tuesday.

Concordia got off to a fast start in the first as Cassidy Horner (Cottonwood, Calif./West Valley H.S.) lifted a 3-2 pitch over the left-center fence to score herself and Taylor Copher (Sandy, Ore./Sandy H.S.), who drew a walk in the previous at bat.
Following a walk in the first, Northwest got its second runner on board in the top of the second inning as Lizzy Reimer reached via throwing error. Giving up her first hit, Marshall got a boost by her defense on a one-hit double to center by Bethany Bacon which prompted Reimer to attempt a run home.

CU centerfielder Katie Aden (Tigard, Ore./Tigard H.S.) retrieved the ball at the fence, fired to second base where Taylor Bussey (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie H.S.) relayed the ball to CU catcher Kate Santos (Gladstone, Ore./Gladstone H.S.). With Reimer already making the turn home, Santos quickly fired to third where Megan Malvick (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam H.S.) applied to tag to erase the threat.

After a single unearned run in the third, the Cavs looked to break the game open in the fourth by loading the bases with just one out on the board. The home team would be denied, however, as a slick play by Reidinger, the Northwest third baseman, eliminated the threat by snagging a liner off the bat of Megan Luebbert and quickly hopping back to the bag to double up the Cavs and end the frame.

Rielly Byrd (Puyallup, Wash./Franklin Pierce H.S.) singled in Santos in the sixth for CU's final run of the game.

Marshall struck out six batters while giving up just the one walk for her second straight shutout. The senior has not allowed an earned run in her last appearances, dropping her season ERA to 1.92.

Game 2 – Concordia 8, Northwest 0 (5 inn.)

Following up the shutout performance by Marshall in the opener, CU's Lucy Baldovino (Medford, Ore./South Medford H.S.) and Danielle Orvella (Seattle, Wash./Kentridge H.S.) combined to post the Cavaliers sixth shutout of the season with an 8-0 win to complete the sweep against the Eagles.

The duo allowed just two Beacon baserunners in the contest with Gonzalez singling on a bunt in the first inning and Bethany Bacon singling to left in the fifth. Gonzalez managed to advance to second on eth play on a CU throwing error, but represented the lone runner to move into scoring position as the Concordia pitcher went on to retire 12 straight batters in between the two hits.

Neither Baldovino nor Orvella issued a walk in the game while Baldonivo struck out five in 13 faced.

Offensively, Concordia once again plated multiple runners in the home half of the first, this time sending nine runners to bat en route to scoring four runs. The Cavs added three in the third with Kate Santos (Gladstone, Ore./Gladstone H.S.) slamming a 2-run homer to left. Three batters later, Megan Luebbert followed with an RBI single to plate Mariah Jimenez (Camas, Wash./Camas H.S.).

CU's final score came in the fourth as Cassidy Horner (Cottonwood, Calif./West Valley H.S.) scored on an RBI walk by Megan Malvick (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam H.S.). Horner drew a walk herself before a single to right by Taylor Bussey (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie H.S.) loaded the bases.