DECATUR, AL --- With the NAIA's No. 8 Concordia trailing by two runs and two runners in scoring position in the sixth inning, sophomore right fielder Brieana Eckel locked horns with Madonna (MI) starter Jess Irwin for a 12-pitch battle, but came up empty, as the Eagles fell, 3-1, in pool play.

The loss puts Concordia (41-19) in a precarious position on the first day of the NAIA National Championship, but the Eagles will be back at it Friday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. (CST) in a must-win situation against Minot State (N.D.) as pool play continues.

Eckel's epic at-bat against Irwin was a heart-breaker in and of itself after she fought to stay alive against the Madonna huler who fanned 12 Eagles on the afternoon. Concordia had just scored its only run of the game on a sacrifice fly from All-GSAC sophomore shortstop Alyssa Erickson, and Irwin let fly a wild pitch with Eckel at the plate to create a two-out RBI opportunity.

Eckel had fouled away several inside cut-fastballs, but was eventually frozen on the same pitch for strike three, as Irwin improved to 29-4 on the season with the win.

Madonna had picked up a run in each of the second, third and fourth innings, taking advantage of an uncharacteristically sloppy afternoon afield by the Eagles.

The first of three Concordia errors plated Madonna's Rachael Kethe, who had reached on a swinging bunt single with one out in the second inning, and Kethe hit a ball that would have ended the third inning but was instead misplayed, allowing Madonna to double its lead to 2-0.

On the third-inning miscue, Eckel fired a strike to third base to prevent further damage, but another Concordia error in the fourth contributed to Madonna's third run of the day to make it a 3-0 ballgame.

Concordia senior starting right-hander Rachel Reekstin (11-10) took the loss but allowed just one earned run among three runs total. She did struggle with her control, issuing five walks while striking out seven. She fell behind each of the game's first five batters, but pitched her way out of the first inning to keep the Eagles in the game early.

Senior center fielder Shannon Walton broke up a no-hitter in the sixth with an infield single, and All-GSAC junior third baseman Samantha Perez reached on a bunt single in the seventh, but was left standing on first base when the game ended.

To get more information on the NAIA National Championships, including live stats links to each game, click here.

To view a photo gallery of the Eagles in the tournament, click here.