Panthers drop pair to Riley County

A rally in the bottom of the seventh inning came up one run short as the Concordia High School softball team fell 6-5 to Riley County in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday at the Concordia Sports Complex.
Concordia was shut out 15-0 in the first game of the twinbill and trailed 6-3 heading into the last half of the final inning in game two.
The Panthers scored two runs to close the gap to 6-5, but had one baserunner thrown out at home plate and left two more stranded in suffering the narrow defeat.
Jalen Bonner and Arista Bombardier walked to lead off the inning.
Taegen Larsen singled to load the bases.
A fly ball by Kendall Reynolds got one run home.
Bombardier was thrown out at home attempting to score on a ground ball by Allison Poore.
Hailey Budke singled to drive in Larsen with the second run in the inning.
With runners at first and second, a pop fly ended the game.
Larsen pitched the first five innings for Concordia and gave up three unearned runs on four hits. She struck out three and walked two.
McKenzie Widen allowed three unearned runs on four hits in two innings.
Larsen had four of the Panthers' eight points and scored three runs. She also stole four bases.
Budke was 3-for-4 at the plate.
Concordia built a 3-0 lead in the game.
Larsen singled, stole second, third and home in the first inning to put the Panthers up 1-0.
Two runs in the third inning made it a 3-0 game.
Larsen singled and Reynolds walked.
A fly ball by Poore got Larsen home.
Reynolds scored on a single by Kira Kearn.
Riley County tied the game at 3-3 with three runs in the top of the fifth inning.
Rachel Allen drove in two runs with a double and scored on a double by McKenzie Kruse.
Two Concordia errors allowed two more Riley County runs in the sixth inning, and it was a 5-3 game.
The Falcons tacked on one run in the top of the seventh to take a 6-5 lead.
Concordia battled back within a run in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't get the tying run home.
Riley County got out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one.
Adele March hit a three-run home run as the Falcons tacked on four runs in the second inning to make it 6-0.
Sending 12 batters to the plate, the Falcons put up six runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 12-0.
Riley County scored two runs in the fourth inning and one in the fifth.
The game ended after five innings.
Budke suffered the lose. She gave up six runs, three earned, on four hits, struck out two and walked five in two innings.
Widen worked two innings and allowed eight runs, five earned, on four hits. She walked three.
Larsen pitched the final inning and gave up one run, one hit. She struck out one and walked one.
Allen shut the Panthers out on two hits. She struck out 12 and walked one.
March, Kruse and Ashtyn Kulp drove in three runs each for the Falcons.
Concordia hosts Minneapolis in a doubleheader today.