Sophomore Abigail Haraldson pitched a four-hit shutout in the Cobbers' split at St. Mary's.
Sophomore Abigail Haraldson pitched a four-hit shutout in the Cobbers' split at St. Mary's.

Haraldson's Six-Game Hot Streak Leads To Split

WINONA, Minn. (4/25/15)—Abigail Haraldson has put together one of the most impressive six-game pitching stints in program history. The sophomore shut out St. Mary's in the first game as Concordia split its doubleheader at St. Mary's.

Haraldson struck out eight batters and scattered seven hits in a 1-0 shutout victory in game 1. She walked just one in picking up her team-leading sixth win of the season.

The split pushes Concordia's overall record to 12-23 on the year. The Cobbers finish off the MIAC season with a 4-18 mark. St. Mary's caps their conference season at 11-11 and are now 17-17 in all games.

Haraldson has now won her last two games and has only allowed nine earned runs in her last six starts. During that stretch she has pitched 45.0 innings and struck out 47 batters. She has given up only 33 hits and walked just six hitters. Haraldson has lowered her season ERA to 3.15 for the year.

The Cobbers had only three hits in the opener – two of which came in the seventh inning when CC scored the game-winning run. Senior Ashley Tibbetts led off the inning with a single to right field. She then advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a ground ball out. Freshman Mackee Hoffman came on as a pinch hitter and promptly delivered the biggest hit of her collegiate career as she sent a ball through the right side of the infield that scored Tibbetts.

Haraldson pitched out of a first-and-second jam with only one out in the bottom of the seventh. She was able to get a fielder's choice ground ball for the second out and then finished the game with a fly ball to center field.

Concordia gave up a pair of multiple-hit innings in the second game. The Cardinals scored four times in the second and then tacked on two more in the fifth.

The Cobbers had two hits in the nightcap. Mackenzie Jensen had a one-out single in the third inning and then stole second base. Tibbetts then knocked a lead-off single to right field in the seventh inning to extend her hitting streak to six games. The six-game hit streak is the longest of her collegiate career.

Tibbetts went 2-for-5 on the day and is now hitting .308 for the season. That is 24 percentage points above her previous season career best.

Hillary Rotunda pitched the second game for Concordia. She gave up five earned runs and struck out three. She now has a career-best 94 strikeouts for the year.

Concordia will finish off the 2015 season when they host Bemidji State in a non-conference twinbill on Monday, Apr. 27 at 3:30 p.m.