Double Dome Delight

ST. PAUL, Minn. (3/16/16)---Abigail Haraldson pitched 7.0 hitless innings in two games and the Concordia offense exploded for 24 hits in a pair of wins over UMAC opponents in the Cobber Round Robin held at the West St. Paul Dome.

Haraldson pitched 3.0 innings, and didn't allow a hit, in Concordia's 9-0 win over North Central in the opener. She then pitched 4.0 innings of hitless ball in the second game and helped the Cobbers post a 13-0 victory over Bethany Lutheran in the second game. Both games were stopped after five innings due to the eight-run rule.

Haraldson finished the day by pitching 7.0 innings, striking out 15, not allowing a single hit and picking up both wins. She is now 6-5 on the year.

The two victories give the Cobbers a 7-5 overall record. CC has won four of its last six games. The game was the first of the year for North Central while Bethany Lutheran falls to 3-9 for the season.

Concordia made their mark in the first inning of both games. The Cobbers started the day by scoring a single run on two hits in the first frame against North Central and then blew up for eight runs on five hits in the win against Bethany Lutheran.

The Cobbers scored at least one run in all five innings against the Rams in the opener. The two "crooked" numbers came when they plated two runs in the second and four in the fourth.

Concordia finished the game with nine hits and was led by leadoff hitter Madison Little who went 2-for-4 and connected with the team's first home run of the season in the fourth inning. She finished the game with three RBI.

Freshmen Nicole Johannes and Kali Covert were the other two Cobber players with multiple-hit games against North Central. Johannes went 2-for-2 and drove in the first run of the game with a triple in the opening inning of play. Covert was also 2-for-2 and drove in three runs.

The second game was over after the first three innings of play. Concordia put up an 8-spot in the first inning, added two in the second and three in the third to take a 13-0 lead after three frames.

The 13 runs is a season high for CC as was the final total of 15 hits.

The Cobbers had eight of their nine starting hitters get at least one hit in the second game. Little, Devonie Smith, Sydney Roberts and Johannes all had two hits in the game while Covert went 3-for-3 to complete a perfect 5-for-5 Dome day.

Little was 2-for-4 and drove in three runs from the leadoff spot.

NEW YEAR, NEW OFFENSE
Concordia averaged 3.37 runs per game last year and scored more than five runs in eight of their 37 total games. This year the Cobbers are averaging over a run better at 4.66 runs per game and have already posted five games where they have scored at least six runs.

NEW YEAR, NEW OFFENSE PART 2
Last year the Cobbers hit .228 as a team in their 37 games and had 10 games where they had at least nine hits. This season Concordia is hitting a combined .299 in their first 12 games and has recorded five games where they have had at least nine hits.

NEW YEAR, NEW OFFENSE PART 3
Last year Cobber shortstop Devonie Smith finished with a .194 batting average and had only two multiple-hit games. This year Smith is hitting a robust .289 and has five multiple-hit games. She had a hit in both games on Wednesday and has now hit safely in three straight games.

WHAT'S NEXT
Concordia will finish off the Cobber Round Robin at the West St. Paul Dome on Thursday when they square against Finlandia (Mich.) at 9 a.m. and then Bethany Lutheran at 11 a.m.