Cobbers Close Out Season Against Cardinals

MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/02/23)---Concordia lost both games of their season-ending doubleheader at home against St. Mary's.

The Cobbers led 4-3 after five innings in the opener but then surrendered four runs in the sixth and lost 7-4, and in the second game, Concordia fell behind early, could never recover and fell 6-2.

Concordia (5-32, 1-20 MIAC) gave up a single run in the first inning of Game 1, two more in the top of the third but then came up with four consecutive runs to take a 4-3 lead after four innings of play.

Senior Kate Wensloff started the 4-run rally when she singled down the left field line, scoring Haleigh Lematta, who posted a 1-out single up the middle.

The three runs in the fourth frame were the most in a single inning on the day for the Cobbers. Karissa Finnigan brought home the first run when he singled through the left side of the infield, which plated Hailey Pangracs. The final two runs in the inning would come home after CC loaded the bases with one out. Lematta hit a sharp ground ball to second base that scored Molly Wilde, and Finnigan scored when the Cardinals' second baseman mishandled the ball.

St. Mary's (18-14, 10-6 MIAC) won the first game when they scored four runs on five hits in the sixth inning.

Lematta came up with the only hit for Concordia in the final two innings when she beat out an infield single with two outs in the sixth.

Finnigan pitched the first 5.2 innings for Concordia, gave up seven runs on 12 hits and struck out a batter. Mallory Leitner came on in the sixth inning and didn't concede a hit in 1.1 innings of work.

The Cobbers had eight hits in the opener. Wilde and Lematta combined for five of the eight base knocks. Wilde was 3-for-3 with a run scored, while Lematta went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Wensloff, Pangracs and Finnigan all had single hits, with Wensloff and Finnigan also driving in a run.

The Cardinals used the momentum from the first-game win to jump out to a 4-0 lead after three innings in Game 2. They scored a single run in the second and added three more in the third to make Concordia chase the game.

The Cobbers scored both runs in the season's final inning. Reese Hauck's single to center field scored Rosie Unglaub from second base after Unglaub pinch ran for Gabby Brown, who led off the inning with a double to right field. Hauck came around to score on a single up the middle off the bat of Marissa Piasecki.

Concordia had six hits in the finale, with Brown recording the only extra-base hit.

The Cobber had three pitchers close out the season. Leitner went the first 3.0 innings and gave way to Vanessa Ramos, who also went 3.0 innings. Lauren Staples didn't allow a hit in throwing a scoreless seventh inning.