ABILENE, TX - It was a challenging day on the diamond for our McMurry War Hawks in their home doubleheader against Concordia on March 12th at Edwards Field. The visitors took both games, with scores of 6-0 in game one and 10-3 in game two.
Game 1: Concordia 6, McMurry 0
In the first game, Concordia's offense established an early lead, scoring one run in the first inning and adding another in the second. McMurry found some offensive traction with singles from
Kaelyn Rodriguez in the first inning and
Marissa Cardenas in the second, but the team was unable to bring them home.
Concordia extended their advantage with two runs in the third inning. The War Hawks threatened in the bottom of the third with singles by
Angelina Kulbeth and
Kaelyn Rodriguez, and again in the fourth with a double by
Sophia Steele, but the runners were ultimately left stranded.
Concordia added a final run in the fifth inning to secure their 6-0 victory.
Nyema Muhammad provided a bright spot in relief for McMurry, pitching three scoreless and hitless innings to keep the game within reach.
The War Hawks continued to battle in the seventh, putting runners on base with singles from
Kami Owen and
Alyssa Hernandez.
Game 2: Concordia 10, McMurry 3
Game two saw Concordia's offense surge again, but McMurry fought back to put runs on the board. After a scoreless first inning for the visitors, McMurry struck first in the bottom of the second.
Brooklyn Nehring and
Kami Owen hit back-to-back singles, and
Taylor McCurdy followed with an RBI single to bring Nehring home, giving the War Hawks a 1-0 lead.
Concordia responded with a massive four-run fourth inning and added three more in the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, McMurry rallied when
Kaelyn Rodriguez doubled and
Reaghan Staehely singled.
Sophia Steele then ripped an RBI single to score Rodriguez.
Concordia extended their lead with two more runs in the top of the seventh.
The War Hawks continued to fight in their final at-bat.
Sophia Steele doubled, and
Marissa Cardenas followed with a single.
Samantha Gonzalez then brought home
Alexis King with an RBI groundout, finalizing the score at 10-3.
Top Performers
Sophia Steele: She tallied four hits across the doubleheader, including two doubles, and drove in one run.
Kaelyn Rodriguez: She collected three hits on the day, highlighted by a double, and scored a run for the War Hawks.
Nyema Muhammad: She delivered a stellar relief performance in game one, pitching three scoreless and hitless innings while striking out two batters.
Taylor McCurdy: She contributed an RBI single in the second game to give McMurry their first run of the day.
On Deck:
The War Hawks will be back at Edwards Field Friday morning at 11:00 a.m. to complete their series against Concordia.