IRVINE, CA- The Cougars closed their California road trip on Saturday, taking on #19 Concordia University Irvine. In a pair of thrilling matchups, CCU took down the Golden Eagles 2-0 and 3-2, with both games going to 10 innings.
GAME ONE
The first contest of the day was a pitching battle, as Kali Crandall faced off with the Golden Eagles Kaitlin Entrup. Crandall did not allow a run through six innings, allowing just one hit as it stood knotted at 0-0 going to the seventh. Things stood pat from there, as both pitchers refused to let up. In the tenth inning, the last out of the previous inning starts at second base, and the Cougars took advantage. A sacrifice bunt sent Miki Berg to third, and Logan Menzies looped a single to score the first run of the game. Kenzie Middleton then ripped a double to bring Menzies all the way around from first to make it 2-0. A nice play at the plate from Middleton resulted in an out when a runner tried to come home, and Crandall closed the 10 inning game with a shutout victory for her team.
Crandall went 10 innings and tied her own school record with 15 strikeouts on just three hits allowed in yet another dominant performance. Menzies came through for her team to give the lead that would lead to the 2-0 victory.
GAME TWO
The second contest had a different feel to it, as CCU jumped ahead early on an RBI single from Taylor Olsen. Camryn Quilling smacked a double to make it 2-0 in the fourth, but things slowed down from there. Heading to the bottom of the seventh the Cougars still held a 2-0 advantage, but the Golden Eagles were able to even the score in the seventh and sent the game to extra innings. The first two innings remained scoreless aided by some tremendous defense by the Cougars, and for the second straight game the two teams went to the 10th. Leah Garcia was the one who came through, smacking a double to make it 3-2 in favor of CCU. Samaria Roope sealed the deal, inducing consecutive groundouts to send her team to a 3-2 victory and their 10th straight win.
Roope secured the win with 3.2 innings of work, while Alexis Hamilton and Abrie Castillo saw action, with Castillo starting the first three innings before Hamilton pitched 3.1 innings. Garcia, Olsen and Quilling each picked up an RBI for their team, helping them to an impressive doubleheader sweep over the #19 team in the country.
CCU has concluded their California road trip, going an impressive 10-2 as they get set for conference play. RMAC competition begins with a home series against Chadron State on February 18, with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. MST.
