Concordia-St. Paul logs come-from behind 5-4 win over Lions in softball tournament

Mar. 15—In their second game Friday, Missouri Southern's Kara Amos gave up just one hit through the first four innings of what became an extra-inning battle, but the Lions eventually fell 5-4 to the No. 22 Concordia-St. Paul Bears.

The Lions (21-8) got on the board first with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Taylor Nuckolls ground out to shortstop, but drove in Kylee Jacks for the Lions' first run. Yazmin Vargas scored as Katie Gray was caught trying to steal second base and gave MSSU a 2-0 early lead.

The Lions tacked on more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Adrianna Young plated Peyton Hawkins with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Vargas then drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Carsen Tinkler to make it 4-0 going into the top of the fifth inning.

Amos gave up just her second hit of the game — a single from Sydney Pelzer in the top of the fifth — but shut down the Bears with a strikeout of Rachael Novak to end the inning.

Concordia (16-4) got on the board in the top of the sixth inning, when Clara Hesilen drove in Monty with a single to left field off of reliever Natalie Bates to make it 4-1.

Novak made it a 4-2 game with a seventh-inning single that plated Avery Johnson. The Bears tied the game at 4-4 when Riley Rosenthal hit a double that scored both Monty and Novak.

Concordia held Southern scoreless in the bottom of the frame and the teams went into extra innings tied at 4-4.

The Bears took their first lead of the game at 5-4 in the top of the eighth inning when Pelzer drove in Heislen with a single to right field off reliever Lily Rand.

MSSU managed to put two runners on in the bottom of the frame but could not bring them home and fell 5-4.

Amos gave up two hits, while striking out one and walking two in five innings of work.

Jacks went 3-for-5 for MSSU with a run and two stolen bases. Vargas added a run, an RBI and her third stolen base of the day.

The Lions return to action Saturday with an MIAA/NSIC crossover double-header against Winona State (Minnesota) at 2 p.m. at Pat Lipira Field.