A Triple Home Run Return To The Grass And Dirt

A Triple Home Run Return To The Grass And Dirt

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/19/14)—Concordia was finally able to host a doubleheader on their home diamond. After playing their first eight home games on the FieldTurf surface inside Jake Christiansen Stadium the Cobbers moved 100 feet to the north and squared off against Bethel on the dirt and grass of the softball diamond.

Unfortunately for Concordia, the Royals having been playing on natural surfaces the entire spring and used that experience to come away with a 14-3, 9-0 sweep.

The Cobbers are now 6-21 in all games and 1-9 in the MIAC. Bethel has won four of its last six games and moves to 17-12 overall and 8-4 in league play.

The highlight for Concordia on the day was the long ball power in the first game. All three Cobber runs came via solo home runs. Paige Beseman continued her tear on opposing pitcher by hammering a shot over the center field fence in the third inning.

Ashley Tibbetts and Dominique Giesen then went back-to-back with solo shots in the fourth inning. For Tibbetts it was her team-leading third homer of the year and Giesen clouted her first-ever collegiate home run.

The three home runs in a single game is the most since the 2012 season when they connected on four against St. Mary's on Apr. 5. 

Tibbetts was the only Concordia player with more than one hit in the opener. She was 2-for-3, scored a run and drove in a run.

The second game was more of the same as the Cobber pitchers couldn't halt the Bethel offensive attack.

The Cobbers came away with seven hits in the finale. Beseman stayed red-hot and went 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Every ball she hit in the second game was on a line and screamed out of the infield. Beseman did not register an out on the day and went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. She upped her team-leading batting average to .369 on the year.

Concordia will hit the road for a pair of early-week road tests. The Cobbers will play at Carleton on Monday, Apr. 21 and then face St. Catherine in St. Paul on Wednesday, Apr. 23.