May 12 turned into a historic day for Concordia University softball as the program recorded its first-ever national tournament victory. Facing an elimination game, the Bulldogs knocked off Grand View University (Iowa), 6-4, in their school’s fourth game over the past two years in the opening round. Then in a rematch with No. 1-ranked Oklahoma City, the host Stars won 9-2.
Head Coach Todd LaVelle’s squad ends the 2015 campaign with an overall record of 29-23. That victory total ties for the sixth most in a single season in program history. LaVelle hopes the national tournament win provides a springboard for future success on the grand stage.
“We’re extremely proud of these girls, not just for what they did today but for what they did all season,” LaVelle said. “At the end of the year you wrap up the whole season and there were so many things that these girls did well that propelled them to here on the national stage. We talked about it a year ago that just getting here wasn’t good enough.”
Concordia built a 5-0 advantage despite leaving eight runners on base through the game’s first four frames. After Grand View (33-13) scored four-straight runs to make it a tight game, Becca Walker squeezed home a seventh-inning run and starting pitcher Michaela Woodward shut the door in the bottom half. The Bulldogs then celebrated their first national tournament victory.
Both Woodward and Molly Madsen drove in a run apiece with RBI singles. Sophomore Diana Mendoza, Madsen and Woodward each collected two hits in the win.
“It’s great being part of it – first time in school history,” Mendoza said of Tuesday’s win. “I was shaking the whole time, but it just pumps me up that I was part of it.”
In the opening frame of Tuesday’s elimination game, Oklahoma City rocked Woodward for six runs on six hits.
Behind reliever Jordana Goncalves, the Bulldogs settled in after the rough first inning. The Stars, eight-time national champs in school history, went scoreless in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. Concordia allowed just five earned runs on 11 hits over seven innings.
Concordia got its only two runs in the loss on Mendoza’s two-run single up the middle. After recording eight hits versus Grand View, the Bulldogs pounded out six hits against Oklahoma City.
CU opens against Stars
Making its second-straight appearance at the opening round of the national tournament, Concordia fell victim to Oklahoma City University May 11. The top-ranked Stars got a third-inning grand slam from Jocelin Diaz to power a 13-0, run-rule shortened win over the Bulldogs at Ann Lacy Stadium in Oklahoma City, Okla.
Woodward made her eighth straight start in the circle for Concordia and struggled to figure out the strike zone. She walked six and surrendered the back-breaking blast to Diaz. The Stars (53-4), who entered the tournament ranked second nationally with an average of 9.1 runs per game, backed up their No. 1 national ranking with 14 hits off Woodward.
Freshman Jordana Goncalves relieved Woodward with a runner on second and two outs in the top of the fourth. Goncalves acquitted herself well, firing 1 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out two.
The Bulldogs had their best chance to score in the bottom of the third when they loaded the bases with back-to-back singles by Becca Walker and Diana Mendoza and then a walk by Julia Tyree to begin the frame. Oklahoma City starter Abby Meador buckled down and retired the next three hitters to keep the Bulldogs off the scoreboard.
Mendoza collected two of Concordia’s four hits on the evening. Owens and Walker notched a base hit apiece.
