BOX SCORE
MEDFORD, Ore.—Behind seven shutout innings from
Renee Santos, Concordia rolled to a 4-0 win over Azusa Pacific in the team’s first game of action at the Southern Oregon University Tournament held at US Cellular Park on Saturday.
With the win, Concordia improved to 8-0 on the season while APU dropped to 6-7.
Opening up CU’s scoring in the third, a two-out double by
Kayla Vickaryous led to an RBI single from
Ali Paz for the 1-0 lead.
While Santos kept the Cougars from countering, the CU attack added its final three scores in the top of the seventh with a quartet if singles.
Following a pair of fielder’s choice plays to shortstop, Vickaryous reached on an error to give the Cavs runners at first and second.
Becca Gawlista followed with an RBI single through the middle and Paz replicated the feat with an RBI single to left-center to give the Cavaliers the 4-0 lead.
Azusa Pacific managed to get runners in scoring position in three innings. Opening up the third, Angie Sprague singled to shortstop and moved to second base on a stolen base but was wiped off the base paths by Concordia catcher Kyndell Andrews after trying to steal third.
The Cougars had a pair of runners on base in the fourth and the sixth while getting a player in scoring position in the seventh as the team’s best scoring opportunities.
Santos struck out APU catcher Jac Harkey to end the fourth and induced a foul-territory popup to end the sixth. After allowing a walk to Harkey to open the seventh, Santos posted the back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat and preserve the shutout.
Santos finished with 13 strikeouts while allowing just three hits and two walks in the complete-game performance. APU’s Rita Kim was charged with the loss after giving up all four CU runs. Kim struck out six for the Cougars.
The first three batters in the Cavalier lineup each registered a pair of hits with Vickaryous scoring on two occasions and Paz picking up two RBI. Sprague went 2-for-3 for APU while Bekah Weisser singled to left in the fourth for the team’s only other hit.