Monday, May 6, 2019

PORTLAND, Ore. – They may have been picked to finish last by the conference coaches, but the Concordia softball team didn't get the memo.

After a season of solid softball, the Cavaliers put together one if its best three-day stretches of the year over the weekend to claim the title at the 2019 GNAC Softball Championships. The victory gave the club the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division II Championships while also earning the selection as GNAC Team of the Week. 

"We have had our backs against the wall several times this year with injuries and must-win games and this team has continued to step up," said head coach Shelley Whitaker. "Our student-athletes' support for each other has enabled us to play with confidence and peak in the final stretch of conference play."

That confidence was evident at Porter Park last week as CU was able to win three games in three days. Junior Hannah Self shined throughout the tournament, receiving the most valuable player award after batting 6 for 12 in four contests. Self also scored three runs while tallying five RBI and a home run. 

Senior Mckenzie Smith was dominant on the mound for the Cavaliers. The southpaw started the week with a complete game one-hitter in Thursday's 5-0 shutout of Western Oregon. She then capped the event with a win in Saturday's title-clinching, 5-4 victory against the Wildcats.

It was right-hander Sally Bowles who came on in relief to earn the save in the final game, clinching the title after inducing back-to-back fly outs to strand the tying run at third base.

The win now sends Concordia to the NCAA Division II West Regional, where it will face No. 1 seed Concordia-Irvine in its first round matchup. The trip to NCAA Division II postseason play is the first in program history. 

"The growth of this team from January to now has been tremendous," Whitaker said. "We're looking forward to competing in our first NCAA Division II regional this week."

The all-Concordia matchup is slated for a 1:30 p.m. first pitch on Thursday, May 9. Joining the teams in their regional pod will be No. 4 seed San Francisco State and fifth-seeded Western Oregon.