Good And Bad Big Innings Lead To Split At Carleton

NORTHFIELD, Minn. (5/03/14)—Concordia collected a pair, and gave up one, big-run inning which led to a split at Carleton. The Cobbers scored five runs in two innings in the opener and beat the Knights 15-3 but then conceded a seven spot in the second game and lost 14-4. The loss in the second game eliminated Concordia from the MIAC playoff chase.

Concordia is now 16-15 in their first 31 games of the year and moves to 8-10 in conference play. Carleton earns an MIAC playoff berth with their victory in the nightcap. They move to 22-13 in all games and 12-8 in league play.

The Cobbers were nursing a 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning in the first game but then scored five runs in the fifth, a single run in the sixth and then five more in the seventh to come away with their highest run total of the season. CC also had 15 hits in the game which is the second most in 2014.

Concordia scored five runs on four hits and sent nine batters to the plate in the fifth and finished the opener by scoring five runs on three hits and pushing nine more into the box in the seventh.

The Cobbers had eight players record hits in the first game and had five batters collect more than one hit. Tim Carlson and Kyle Kraemer both had three hits. Carlson was 3-for-5 with an RBI while Kraemer went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Phil Kuball, Michael Olson and Jordan Gefroh also had a multiple-hit game.

Ross Merriman went all seven innings on the hill for Concordia. He scattered seven hits and allowed three earned runs while striking out five. Merriman has won his last three starts and has lowered his ERA by over four points.

The second game was broke open when the Knights scored a touchdown and added the extra point in the fifth inning. The game was tied 4-4 heading into the decisive frame but then Carleton plated seven runners on eight hits to seize an 11-4 lead. The Knights finished off the second game by scoring three more runs in the seventh.

The Cobbers had six hits in the second game. The biggest hit came from Gefroh who doubled home two runs in the first inning to tie the game at 2-2. Gefroh was 2-for-3 in the finale, drove in a pair of runs and scored three of the team's four runs. He finished the day by going 4-for-7 and had five RBI and three runs scored. He heads into the final three games of the season with a team-best .430 average. He has a chance to catch assistant coach Chris Coste's school record for single season batting average at .442. Gefroh now has 13 multiple-hit games.

Kuball, Olson and Nick Bornhauser were the other three CC players who had hits in both games at Carleton. Kuball was 3-for-9 with four runs scored while Olson went 3-for-8 with three runs scored and Bornhauser was 2-for-6 with three run scored as well. Olson has now hit safely in seven straight games which came on the heels of a school-record 22-game hit streak. He has hit safely in all but three games this season.

Concordia will now host Bethel on Monday, May 5 in a doubleheader which will feature the field dedication ceremony for Cobber head coach Bucky Burgau. Concordia will name the field for Burgau in a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. on Monday.