Sunburnt In The First 2 Games In The Sunshine State

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (3/04/23)---Concordia opened its annual spring trip to Florida by dropping a pair of games against Midwestern opponents. The Cobbers lost 14-0 in five innings to Dubuque in the first game of the day, and then fell 11-3 in six innings to Dominican (Ill.) in game No.2.

The two losses drop the Cobbers' season record to 2-4.

Molly Wilde led the offense in the first game against Dubuque as she accounted for both Cobber hits in the contest. She singled to left field in the first innings, and then had a single through the left side of the infield with one out in the fourth.

The other baserunner for Concordia against the Spartans was a 1st-inning walk from Kailee Falconer.

Dubuque was able to put up crooked numbers in the first, second fourth and fifth innings to avenge the 1-0 loss that Concordia posted when they two teams met in Mankato on Feb. 19.

Concordia used three pitchers in the first game with Lauren Staples getting the start. She pitched an inning, and then Mallory Leitner and Vanessa Ramos both went 2.0 innings.

The Cobbers scored all three of their runs in the second game against Dominican in the fourth frame after the Stars took a 5-0 lead with five runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Wilde led off the fourth with a walk. She would score after Emma Bowman laid down a sacrifice bunt, and then the Dominican defense butchered the play allowing Wilde to come home from first. Kate Gulbranson followed with one of her two hits in the game. Gabby Brown added walk, and then Karissa Finnigan singled to load the bases.

Concordia would score their final two runs of the inning when Kate Wensloff reached on an error.

The Stars put the game out of reach in the fifth and sixth innings. With the score at 5-3, Dominican scored four times in the fifth, and ended the game with two more in the sixth.

The Cobbers had seven hits in the second game. Gulbranson and Gabriella Castro were both 2-for-3. Wensloff, Wilde and Finnigan had the other base knocks.

Finnigan started in the circle and pitched the first 4.2 innings. Staples entered in the fifth and went 0.2 innings.

UP NEXT: Concordia will continue with their 10-game Florida trek when they play Sage (N.Y.) and Saint Vincent (Pa.) on Sunday, Mar. 5.