MANKATO, Minn. – The Concordia University-St. Paul Golden Bears kept the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat softball team winless on the year with a five-inning 8-0 triumph Saturday morning at the Portolite & Field Turf MSU Invitational held at the Mavericks All-Sports Dome.
 
The Golden Bears moved to 2-1 on the season, while the Bearcats dipped to 0-3.
 
The Golden Bears batted around in the second inning to total five runs off Bearcat starter Hayden Simmons. CSP tallied five hits in the second to take a 5-0 lead over Northwest.
 
Northwest gained its first base runner of the game in the third when Madison Friest reached on an error by CSP's Sydney Pelzer.
 
CSP added a single run in the bottom half of the third to up the margin to 6-0.
 
Olivia Daugherty launched Northwest's first hit of the contest up the middle on the first pitch she saw to lead off the top of the fifth. Friest worked a two-out walk to push Daugherty to second. However, Avery Anderson flew out to left to end the Northwest scoring opportunity.
 
After extinguishing the Bearcat rally in the top of the fifth, the Golden Bears set out to close out the contest in the bottom half of the frame. CSP's first two hitters Grace Beseman and Amanda Parsons reached on singles to the left side. Pinch hitter Afton Zemke doubled down the left field line to plate Beseman to give CSP runners at second and third and a 7-0 advantage. Simmons struck out Rachel Novak for the first out of the fifth. Pinch hitter Payton Hanson singled up the middle to finish off the Bearcats, 8-0.
 
CSP starter Bryanna Olson tossed a one-hit shutout. She struck out six and walked one.
 
Simmons took the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year. Simmons pitched 4 1/3 innings. She allowed 12 hits, eight runs (all earned), two walks and struck out five.