The Briar Cliff softball team concluded its season in the GPAC Tournament on Wednesday, falling 10–0 to the Dordt Defenders in game one before a 10–7 loss to the Concordia Bulldogs in game two.
Game 1 vs. Dordt – L, 10–0
Briar Cliff was held scoreless in the opener as Dordt used early offense and a big fourth inning to secure a 10–0 victory.
The Defenders struck first in the opening inning and added to their lead in the second with a series of run-scoring plays, including a double and a bases-loaded walk. Dordt broke the game open in the fourth inning, plating five runs highlighted by a grand slam to center field by Edwards.
MJ Bannon took the loss in the circle, allowing four runs in the first inning.
Lauryn Mattox provided relief, working three innings while allowing six runs on six hits.
Offensively, Briar Cliff was limited to two hits, with
Shelby Blankenship and
Leah Montes each recording one. The Chargers showed patience at the plate with five walks and played clean defensively without committing an error.
Dordt was led by Edwards and Steenstra, who each drove in four runs, while multiple players recorded multi-hit performances.
Game 2 vs. Concordia – L, 10–7
Briar Cliff showed resilience in game two but came up short in a 10–7 loss to Concordia.
The Cliff opened the scoring in the second inning as Blankenship tripled to bring home a run. The Bulldogs responded in the third inning with a five-run frame to take control of the game.
BCU answered in the fifth with a five-run rally, fueled by RBIs from
Sydney Ebel, Mattox, and
Sydney Mennenga, along with a bases-loaded walk by
Audrey Evola and a Concordia error, to close the gap.
Blankenship took the loss in the circle after allowing seven runs over three innings. Concordia's Denison earned the win in relief.
Offensively, Mattox led the Chargers with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, while Blankenship added two hits and two RBIs. Montes drew two walks as Briar Cliff finished with six walks as a team.
Concordia totaled 16 hits in the contest, with several players recording multi-hit performances as the Bulldogs pulled away late.
Briar Cliff concludes their season with a 20-28 record and 10-12 GPAC. This is the most conference wins for Chargers since the 2023 season, and the most under Head Coach
TJ Eadus.
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