(April 22, 2008 - Ann Arbor, Mich.) -- After dropping a tough game one the Concordia Cardinal softball team trailed Oberlin College 2-0 in the second inning game of two on Tuesday. However the Concordia offense exploded and the Cardinals rallied tremendously and beat Oberlin by a 12-3 score in game two.
The Concordia University softball team came into Tuesday's non-conference doubleheader with Oberlin College looking for their first win at home and their first non-conference win of the season. The Cardinals (2-24) got both as they beat Oberlin in the second game in a five inning blowout.
Oberlin took game one in a game that followed an all too familiar blueprint for the Cardinals. Concordia errors allowed Oberlin to take an early lead and the Cards could not find the timely hits they needed to stage a comeback as they fell 3-1. A scary moment occurred when freshman pticher Laura Brabaw (Paris, MI) took a line shot off her body. Brabaw stayed in the game however and held the Yeowomen of Oberlin (1-25) to only one earned run.
Concordia staged a sixth inning rally but it was ended on a tough play at home plate for the third out. Kolbe Valenzuela (Sr. Whittier, CA) doubled down the left field line but Melissa Garcia (So. Milan, MI) was gunned down at the plate on a perfect relay. Garcia was the only Cardinal with two hits in game one.
Game two was a completely different story however as the Cardinals found their stride at the plate after following behind 2-0. Concordia scored four runs in the bottom of the second to gain a lead they would not relinquish. The big blow in the fourth came when Cardinal freshman Katy Gallan (Lasalle, MI) hit a three run bases loaded double into the left center field gap. When the play was complete Gallan stood on second and Concordia had a 4-2 lead. Gallan had two hits during game two and also stole a base; Gallan currently leads the conference in steals as she is putting together a very solid freshman season.
Melissa Garcia had another strong game in game two and her rbi single in the 3rd gave the Cards a 5-2 edge. The bottom of the fourth was the frame in which the Cards broke the contest wide open. Concordia pushed across seven runs on six hits to storm to a ten run lead. Kristine Dolunt (Fr. Allen Park,MI) lead off with a hit and Gallan followed by reaching on an error. Terra Russell (Sr. Garden City, MI) and Valenzuela knocked consecutive rbi doubles and Jenny Johnson (So. Milan, MI) added an RBI single. Gallan knocked a two run single during the fourth to give her five rbi during the game.
Oberlin scored one run in the top of the fifth but the Cards were never in jeapordy as they cruised to the nine run win. Kolbe Valenzuela worked all five innings on the mound and picked up her first win of the season. The second game of the doubleheader was without question Concordia's strongest offensive showing of the year as they pounded out twelve hits and batted around in the second and fourth innings. Gallan, Russell, Garcia and Valenzuela each had two hits in game two and Gallan lead the way with her five runs batted in.
With three doubleheaders remaining Concordia will try to carry the momentum of Tuesday into the rest of their season. They will be back home tomorrow to resume conference play against the University of Michigan Dearborn. The doubleheader will begin at 3 PM.