Offense Arises

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/06/15)—Concordia belted out 11 extra-base hits and scored 23 runs as the Cobber offense got back on track in a 23-1 non-conference victory over Minn.-Morris.

The game, which was originally scheduled to be played at Morris but was switched to Moorhead, was shortened to seven innings because of the 10-run rule in a 9-inning game.

The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Cobbers and pushes their overall record to 12-5. The Cougars are now 6-11 on the season.

The Cobbers had nine doubles and two home runs in the 23-run outburst. CC scored at least one run in all six innings they batted and scored seven times in the third inning. The 23 runs scored is the most in a single game for Concordia since the 2008 season when they beat D'Youville (N.Y.) 29-2.

The two long balls came in the first two innings of play and set the tone for the frigid afternoon. Senior Devin Johnson lofted a long fly ball to right field in the first inning to stake the Cobbers to a 2-0 lead and then Aaron Green lined a ball over the right-center field fence for a grand slam in the second frame.

Concordia would then add the seven runs in the third followed by a 5-spot in the fourth and then a single run in the fifth before closing out the scoring in the sixth with four more runs.

Green, Jordan Domine and Eric Carlsen were the hottest Cobber hitters at the plate. Green finished the day by going 4-for-6 and had six RBI to go along with four runs scored. He also had a pair of doubles to go with his long ball. Domine matched Green's RBI total. He was 3-for-5 with six RBI, a run scored and cranked out three doubles.

The six RBI is the most by a single player since the 2012 season when Braden Rahman had seven in the game 1 against St. Mary's on Apr. 10.

Carlsen, who has quietly taken over the team lead in hitting, was a perfect 3-for-3 with four runs scored. He had a double and a walk. Carlsen is now hitting a robust .538 for the season and has a 10-game hitting streak.

Johnson was 2-for-3 with three runs scored and three RBI. He has now hit safely in five straight games and has raised his season average to .383.

Phil Kuball and Tim Carlson were the other two CC hitters with more than one hit in the game. Both players went 2-for-4 in the game and both had one of the team's nine two-baggers on the day. Kuball was 2-for-4 and had three RBI while Carlson went 2-for-4 and scored two runs.

Concordia used three pitchers in the game. Freshman Tanner Kluis started and went the first three innings. He only allowed two hits and faced the minimum nine batters after inducing a pair of double play balls. Kluis is now 3-0 on the year and has an earned run average of 3.27.  

Billy Jacobson went the next three frames and gave up five hits and the lone earned run.

Nate Wendorf finished the game and pitched a perfect seventh inning. He struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Concordia will head back to conference play when they host Macalester on Wednesday, Apr. 8 at 2:30 p.m. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Tuesday, Apr. 7 but due to rain in the forecast, was pushed back to Wednesday.