Bulldog baseball team sweeps Lancers in weekend doubleheader, 4-3 and 12-10
Senior pitcher Christian Gutierrez throws his pitch (photo from previous game).
Photo credit: Cohen Carpenter
By Isaac Dawson
The Concordia Nebraska baseball team swept their double header this Saturday in their first day of their series with the Mount Marty Lancers. The Bulldogs won the lower scoring first game at 4-3 in the tenth inning. The second game was also close at 12-10.
The game began in a scary fashion for the Bulldogs. The only points on the table came from the Lancers in the first inning with two runs. The runs went unanswered with no follow-up by either team until Concordia eventually matched Mount Marty’s score with two runs of their own. Senior Jaidan Quinn put up a sacrifice fly and junior Jaeden Jordahl singled in an RBI.
The next several innings saw almost nothing but fly balls, snatched grounders, and strikeouts. The odds turned in the Bulldogs’ favor in the tie breaking tenth inning with sophomore Matthew Rhoades and senior Michael Welch singling for an RBI apiece. Mount Marty had a chance but could only pull off one RBI. The game ended for Concordia at 4-3.
Grad student Alex Johnson pitched for 8.0 innings with six hits, two runs, two errors, and seven strikeouts. Junior Daiten Schmidt pitched the other 2.0 for two hits, one run, one error, and three strikeouts.
Game two had a much better start for the Bulldogs with three runs. Senior Brad Hallock singled for an RBI. Rhoades doubled to get Quinn across the plate, and junior Bronx Lewis valiantly sacrificed his chance at a base to get Hallock home.
The next score was in the third inning with a single from senior Jimmy Blumberg. The Lancers’ third tied up the game with four runs off of four hits and a batter getting hit by a pitch at an opportune moment.
Concordia did not take this lying down. A single from Jordahl brought in the first run of the inning. The next two were achieved by the more unconventional method of passed balls and a fielder’s choice.
The next runs were earned in the sixth with a few to each team. The Bulldogs got two RBIs via senior Tanner Tompkins doubling and a subsequent unearned score by Tompkins again. Mount Marty brought the score to within one of Concordia at 9-8 with four runs.
The Bulldogs stayed ahead in the seventh with three runs to the Lancer’s two. Jordahl doubled for another RBI followed by a two-run homer by Hallock. Mount Marty’s two runs ended the game at 12-10 for Concordia.
This game had just about every pitcher on the team take a turn. Senior Christian Gutierrez pitched first with six hits, four runs, four errors, and three strikeouts. Senior Seth Claybourne had two hits, one run, one error, and four strikeouts. Junior Cam Pickens had two runs in 0.1 innings. Sophomore Alex Griess had two hits, one run, and one error in 0.1 innings. Sophomore Sam Rambajan pitched for 1.0 innings for one hit, two runs, two errors, and two strikeouts. Schmidt had one hit and one strikeout in 0.1 innings.
Concordia now stands at 28-8 overall and 16-2 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. Their next double header takes place in Yankton, South Dakota back against Mount Marty for round two starting at 1 p.m. on April 13.
