'Roo Softball Falls Twice to Concordia

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College softball team dropped both halves of its Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference twinbill with visiting Concordia University (Texas) on Sunday, falling 10-0 in game one before being bested 8-5 in game two. The 'Roos are now 3-31 overall and 2-21 in conference play.

The 'Roos quickly found themselves in a 4-0 hole in game one, as the Tornados got four runs across in the top of the first beginning with an RBI double from Addison Lehew, and Taylor Smrt followed with a two-run triple. Smrt later came home on a passed ball for the final run of the frame. Smrt added an RBI double in the third, and Concordia tacked on another run in the inning to make it 6-0. The margin grew to 8-0 in the fourth, as the Tornados took advantage of two throwing errors to plate a pair of runs, and they'd add two more runs in the top of the fifth to extend the lead to 10-0.

That's where things would end after five innings via the run-rule, as Austin College was unable to get any offense going to mount a comeback, with Concordia's Kylie Kirk earning the win while tossing a no-hitter, striking out six batters with four walks allowed. Lauren Trott went the distance in the circle to take the loss for Austin College, giving up 10 runs - seven earned - on 11 hits.

Game two was scoreless until the top of the third, when Lehew doubled home the game's first run, but Austin College responded in the bottom half of the inning when Hailie Swiatkowski plated Genesis Forman with a sacrifice fly. However, a pair of throwing errors in the fourth opened the door for a four-run inning, with three of the runs that came home being unearned to help the Tornados make it a 5-1 game.

The margin grew to 6-1 in the fifth before Havannah Holmes got the 'Roos on the board again with an RBI single to make it 6-2, but Kylie Denaro tripled home a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 8-2. Austin College got three runs back in the bottom of the seventh as the 'Roos attempted to mount a comeback, but it came up short with the final out coming with the bases loaded. Reagan Brinkley, Kassidy Bradshaw, and Tessa Contreras each had an RBI in the frame. 

McKinley Hankins took the loss, giving up six runs, only three earned, on nine hits in 5.0 innings of work, while Karlee Mathis got the win for Concordia, surrendering five runs on 11 hits in 6.0 innings and Kirk earned the save. Brinkley and Tori Fowler both went 3-for-4 to lead Austin College offensively, and Malarie Mican was 3-for-5 with four stolen bases for the Tornados.