Lourdes began the home portion of its 2019 season on Wednesday evening at Pacesetter Park, dropping both ends of a doubleheader to Concordia (Mich.) by scores of 10-5 and 9-1.
 
The Cardinals started quickly in the opener, scoring four times in the opening inning on just one hit while taking advantage of three Lourdes errors.  The game remained 4-0 into the fifth when Concordia added another unearned run on a bases loaded walk.
 
The Gray Wolves rallied in the bottom of the fifth, taking advantage of a Cardinal error to open the inning.  Back-to-back singles by Morghan Russell (Mansfield, Ohio/Madison H.S.) and Megan Motte (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay H.S.) loaded the bases before Alyssa Ziegler's (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold H.S.) plated Lourdes' first run.  Marissa Kostick (Saint Charles, Mich./Saint Charles H.S.) followed with a two-run double to pull Lourdes within two, 5-3.
 
Concordia added five insurance runs in the seventh inning to break the game back open.  Lourdes plated two unearned tallies in the bottom of the inning to close out the scoring.  A double steal allowed Russell to cross the plate with one run before a throwing error scored Shylee Schmeltz (Gibsonburg, Ohio/Gibsonburg H.S.).
 
Russell had the lone two-hit game for the Gray Wolves on the afternoon as Lourdes tallied six total hits in the opener.
 
Maddie Cieczka earned the win (5-5) in game one, working six innings and allowing five runs, all unearned, while striking out four.  Kostick took the loss, despite allowing just one earned run and two hits in the first three innings.
 
Concordia (17-11, 3-3 WHAC) jumped in front early in game two as well, scoring twice with two outs in the second inning and adding a pair of unearned runs in the fifth.  A three-run sixth inning pushed the lead to 7-1 before Lourdes scored in the bottom of the sixth.
 
Kayla Gauthier's (Linwood, Mich./Pinconning H.S.) two-out single scored Kostick with the Gray Wolves' lone tally of the nightcap.  The Cardinals plated two final runs in the seventh for the game's final margin.
 
Lauren Reichel went the distance for the win (8-6) in the circle, yielding just the one run on four hits.  Kostick took the loss (3-4), giving up seven runs, only three of which were earned, and eight hits while striking out five in six innings of work.
 
Lourdes (4-12, 0-4) will continue its eight-game homestand on Friday evening, hosting Cornerstone in doubleheader action.  First pitch in game one is set for 3:30 p.m. at Pacesetter Park.