Hanover vs. Concordia, Feb. 24
Concordia needs eight innings to edge Panthers
The Hanover College softball team fell to Concordia University (Minn.), 7-5, in an eight-inning game Tuesday, Feb. 24. The contest was played as part of the NTC Challenge in Clermont, Fla.
Concordia snapped a 4-4 tie with three runs in the top of the eighth inning. The Golden Bears (1-0) had only one hit in the stanza, but capitalized on two Hanover errors to plate the game-winning runs.
The Panthers, which stranded 10 runners and committed five errors in the outing, countered with one run in the bottom half of the eighth for the final margin.
Junior designated hitter Emily Merrill (Milton, Ky.) and freshman outfielder Lauren Kreinest (Harrison, Ohio) had two hits apiece to lead Hanover's nine-hit effort at the plate. Kreinest had a single and triple and knocked in one run. Merrill singled, doubled and tallied one RBI.
Sophomore pitcher Chelsea Hanner (Bloomingdale, Ind.) was tagged with the loss after working eight complete innings for the Panthers. She scattered seven runs and 10 hits with four strikeouts and one walk.
Hanner (0-2) also knocked in the Panthers' run in the eighth inning. She pushed sophomore outfielder Christina Adkins (Georgetown, Ind.) across the plate with a base hit.