IRVINE, Calif. – The Cougar softball team played some formidable competition in their final road games of the season, dropping a pair of eight-run-rule games to nationally-ranked Concordia, 8-0 and 9-1, Friday afternoon at Concordia.

Game 1: Concordia 8, Azusa Pacific 0 (6 innings)

The Cougars struggled to get anything going off Callie Nunes.  The Concordia starter did not allow a baserunner until the fifth inning, when Dani Burghardt hit a leadoff single.  A double play two batters later ensured that Nunes faced the minimum 18 batters over six innings.  McKinsey Thorpe drove in three of the Eagles' four runs as part of a three-hit effort.  Concordia broke through with a run in the second, and kept adding on, with one in the third, two in the fourth, before a four-run outburst in the sixth ended the game.  Aly Montesino struck out four batters over 5 2/3 innings, and only four of the eight Concordia runs were earned.

Game 2: Concordia 9, Azusa Pacific 1 (6 innings)

Game two saw the Cougars have a little more success getting runners on base.  Azusa Pacific would get the first two runners on base to start the game, but nothing came of it.  The game would remain scoreless until the third, when Concordia scratched a run across with a pair of hits.  The Eagles would break the game open with seven runs in the fourth inning.  At one point in that run, all nine Concordia hitters reached base in succession. Needing to score in the top of the fifth to keep the game going, Madison Salgado led off the inning with her first career home run to plate the Cougars' first run of the day.  Concordia would add another run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the sixth to end the game. Keelie Koepp had a pair of hits in game two for Azusa Pacific.

Up Next:  The Cougars (18-16, 7-15 PacWest Southern California pod) will complete their season with a doubleheader at home against Concordia on Saturday.  The first game will start at 12:00 noon.  At the conclusion of the doubleheader, the Cougars will honor their three graduating seniors:  Becca Jewett, Brielle Fraijo, and Azaria Wilson.