DECATUR, AL --- The NAIA's No. 8-ranked Concordia held a pair of one-run leads in the early going, but Minot State (N.D.) rallied for four runs in the fourth inning to hand the Eagles their second upset in as many games at the NAIA National Championships with a 5-2 loss.

The loss effectively eliminates the Eagles from the tournament, but Concordia will get one more game out of the trip this Monday (May 24), against eight-time NAIA champion Oklahoma City starting at 2 p.m. (CST), wrapping up Pool Play at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.

Minot State, which entered the tournament unranked in the final NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll, made the most of six walks, including three consecutive free passes issued in the crucial fourth inning.

All-GSAC junior third baseman Samantha Perez singled up the middle and scored on one of three Minot State errors in the first inning, staking sophomore starter Jennifer Simons to a 1-0 lead, but Simons uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of first to tie the score at 1-1.

Fellow All-GSAC selections Alyssa Erickson and Katie Carson both played a role in Concordia's second run in the second inning. Erickson reached on a two-out error and later scored on an opposite-field single by Carson to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

Sophomore left fielder Alicia Lucatero gunned down a runner at the plate to maintain the lead in the third and hold the lead at 2-1.

The fourth inning was a different story for Simons and the Eagles, however. She allowed a one-out single, then struck out a batter to record the inning's second out, but then walked three batters in a row to tie the game at 2-2.

With the bases still loaded, Minot State leadoff hitter Janessa Penner lifted a bases-clearing double that made the score 5-2 with three innings to play.

Simons takes the loss and falls to 14-6. She threw 3.2 innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out two.

Concordia (41-20) was led at the plate by two hits from Carson, and ended up out-hitting Minot State by an 8-7 margin.

To view pictures from the 2010 NAIA Softball National Championships, click here.