Concord Beats Spalding 8-0, Extends Win Streak to Five Games - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

The Concord University softball team recorded its fourth shutout in five contests and stretched its winning streak to a season-best five games with an 8-0 win against Spalding University Friday on the final day of the National Collegiate Softball Invitational.

The victory pushes Concord's record above .500 for the first time since Feb. 3 at 11-10 on the season. The Golden Eagles fall to 6-4 on the season with the loss.

Sophomore pitcher Lacey McDougall was dominant Friday. McDougall improved to 5-6 on the year after allowing just three hits to go with three strikeouts in the complete-game shutout. 40 of McDougall's 53 pitches were strikes. The Chesapeake, Va. native threw first-pitch strikes to 16 of the 20 batters she faced. McDougall allowed just two base runners in the final four innings.

At the plate, McDougall belted a two-run single in the sixth inning that gave Concord its fifth win via run-rule of the year as well as extending her hitting streak to 10 games.

Sophomore Jessica Seymour was 2-for-4 with three RBI, two runs scored and a pair of stolen bases out of Concord's leadoff spot. Senior Becca Gleason and freshman Kristi Benvenuto were both 2-for-3 with Gleason, who is hitting .468 on t he year, stealing two bases and Benvenuto driving in one run.

The Mountain Lions struck first in the bottom of the third when sophomore Hayley Wade drove in Seymour off of a sacrifice fly after Seymour, who had reached base off of a single, stole second and third base consecutively to move into scoring position.

Concord busted the game open with a three-run fourth inning that gave CU a commanding 4-0 lead. Benvenuto singled to center field with the bases loaded and Seymour followed up the freshman's big hit with a two-run single of her own for RBIs No. nine and 10 on the season.

The Mountain Lions piled on four more runs in the sixth inning with the game being called after McDougall's two-run hit. Concord's other two runs in the inning came off of another Seymour RBI and great intuitive base running by sophomore Whitney Carrigan.

With the bases loaded and no outs in the inning, sophomore Brantlea Wood hit a ground ball that the Spalding defense fired home for the force out. Spalding's catcher then tried to turn a double play by throwing down to first, while the attempted double play was in progress; Carrigan took advantage of the situation by motoring from second to home for the score.

Carrigan's instinctive running was just one example of Concord's great plays on the base paths Friday.

Wade turned what should have been a one-base error into three bases in the fifth inning by being aware of defensive mistakes. After reaching on a fielding error by the centerfielder, Wade took second base when the Golden Eagles left the bag uncovered. She finished off the play by jetting to third base when she caught the defense not paying attention.

Concord returns to action 3:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 19 for a doubleheader at Lees-McRae College.