Pitchers Rule The Day In Split In St. Cloud

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (2/24/24)---Pitchers ruled the day on Saturday in St. Cloud in the doubleheader between Concordia and Minn.-Morris.

Cobber senior Karissa Finnigan threw a complete-game, 6-hit shutout in the opener, while Cougars' first-year hurler Skyla Bristol threw a no-hitter in Game 2.

Concordia was able to earn a 1-0 to start the day, while Morris posted a 13-1 victory in 6 innings to finish the day with a split in the series.

Game 1
Finnigan earned her second career shutout by scattering six hits over the seven innings and only allowing one extra-base hit. Finnigan only allowed one base runner to get past second base and she retired 11 of the final 12 batters she faced.

In the end, Finnigan gave up the six hits and only one walk. She struck out two and held the Cougars to a 2-for-10 mark with runners on base and a .000 (0-for-4) batting average with runners in scoring position.

Concordia scored the game-winning run in the second inning. Gabby Brown coaxed a 1-out walk and Rosie Unglaub came on to pinch run. She quickly stole second to get into scoring position. That move paid off when Kate Gulbranson singled up the middle to plate the speedy Unglaub.

The Cobbers finished the opener with six hits. Finnigan was also solid at the plate. She was one of two CC players with more than one hit in the game. She went 2-for-3.

Gulbranson came through with a single in the fifth inning to go with her game-winning RBI in the second. She was 2-for-3.

Game 2
The Cobber bats went cold in the second game as Bristol finished with 15 strikeouts.

Concordia had three base runners in the finale. Kennedy Cook earned a walk in the second inning. First-year catcher Morgan Linstad reached on an error in the fifth and came around to score Concordia's only run in the game after she advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on a ground out. Unglaub reached on an error in the sixth and advanced as far as third base.

The Cobbers used three pitchers in Game 2. Mallory Leitner started in the circle and went 3.0 innings. She was replaced by Kayley Bosc, who went the next 2.0 frames. Lauren Staples finished the game by pitching the sixth inning. Leitner was the most successful as she didn't allow an earned run, gave up only three hits and struck out two.  

UP NEXT: Concordia will now head to Florida for their traditional spring break training trip. The Cobbers will play 10 games in Clermont, Leesburg and Kissimmee, Fla.