ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/11/15)—It was a Lucky 7 split for the Cobbers in their doubleheader with Hamline in the first games played at CHS Field. Concordia scored seven runs in the seventh inning of game 2 to erase a 6-0 deficit and earn a 7-6 win. CC lost the opener 6-5.
The split keeps Concordia's MIAC record even at 3-3. The Cobbers are now 15-6 overall. Hamline moves to 13-12 in all games and 4-6 in league play.
A pair of Concordia hitters will go down in the history of the new ballpark which will be the home of the minor league franchise St. Paul Saints. Devin Johnson was the first player to get a hit at CHS Field and Jordan Domine enters the record book as the first player to hit a home run in the baseball stadium.
The teams traded four-run innings in the opener. Hamline scored four times in the bottom of the second and then Concordia duplicated the feat by plating four runs in the top of the fourth.
The game was decided in the sixth inning. Nick Bornhauser's ground ball to second base scored Tim Carlson to give the Cobbers a 5-4 lead. Unfortunately the Pipers one-upped CC by scoring two runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Concordia had five hits in the opener with five different players earning a single hit. Domine had three RBI with all three coming on his fourth-inning blast.
Billy Jacobson started the game and pitched 4.2 innings. He allowed five hits and three earned runs. Ryan Heisler was saddled with the loss after pitching the fifth and into the sixth. Sam Mattson finished the game by throwing 0.2 innings and striking out two.
For six innings it looked like Hamline would walk away with the sweep. They scored three in the second, added two more in the third and then took a 6-0 lead with a single run in the sixth.
Concordia then sat down at the offensive slot machine and pulled a trio of 7's . The Cobbers loaded the bases with the first four batters and then Alex Sandahl drove home a pair of runs with a double to left field. Andrew Deters followed with an RBI single before CC was helped out by an error and Johnson plated a fifth run with a walk. Cody Rahman then gave CC a 7-6 lead when he drove in two more runs with a single down the left-field line.
The Cobber relief corps shut the door in the final three innings of play. Mitch Boser, who entered the game in the sixth inning, pitched a 1-2-3 seventh. Bryce Feia came on at the start of the eighth and leadoff single in each of the final two innings but then methodically retired the next three HU batters.
Boser was credited with his first collegiate win. He pitched 1.2 innings and didn't allow a hit. He also lowered his ERA to 1.59. Feia picked up his fourth save of the year and hasn't allowed a run in his last four outings.
The Cobbers had seven hits in the nightcap. Johnson and Sandahl were the only CC players with more than one hit. They both went 2-for-4. Johnson was 3-for-7 on the day and has hit safely in nine games. He is now hitting .419 on the year.
Concordia will return to the St. Paul area for another conference match-up when they play at Bethel on Wednesday, Apr. 15 at 2:30 p.m.
