Early Deficit Costly In Opener

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (2/21/16)—The good news for Concordia was that they were playing outside in 80-degree weather in February. The bad news is that the Cobbers gave up a run in the very first inning of the year, fell behind 7-0 and dropped the season opener 10-4 to Augustana (Ill.).

Concordia had eight hits in their opener but conceded 15 hits to the Vikings. The Cobbers ended up scoring four runs in the final four innings but the seven-run hole was too much to overcome.

Junior Aaron Green recorded the first hit of the year for Concordia when he singled in the very first inning. The single was one of two hits on the day for Green who hit .367 last year. 

Green was one of two players who had more than one hit for the Cobbers. Senior designated hitter Jordan Domine went 2-for-4 and scored a run.

Concordia fell behind 1-0 after the first inning and then Augustana put up two runs in each of the second, third and fourth innings.

The Cobbers got on the board in the top of the sixth when Cody Rahman walked to bring Green who started the inning by singling to center field. Domine then scored one batter later when he crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

The other two-run inning for Concordia came in the ninth when Turner Storm pinch hit for Rahman and came through with a double – the only extra base hit for the Cobber on the day. Storm scored on a single by Chad Johnson and then Johnson scored the final run of the day for CC when he came home on a wild pitch.

Concordia used three pitchers in the game. Senior Ross Merriman pitched the first 4.0 innings, struck out four and allowed four earned runs. Freshman Fletcher Andel made his collegiate debut and allowed three runs in 2.0 innings of work. Cole Christensen pitched the seventh inning while Sam Mattson pitched a scoreless eighth and struck out one of the four batters he faced.

SEASON OPENING STUMBLES
Concordia is now 3-7 in season openers in the past 10 seasons. Head coach Chris Coste is now 1-1 in the opening game of the year. Last year the Cobbers beat Houghton (Monday's opponent) 13-0 in the opener. Before the win in 2014 the previous opening-day victory came in 2011 when CC bested Dakota Wesleyan 5-4 in eight innings.

THE COLOR OF MONEY
Aaron Green continues to excel at the plate for the Cobbers. He went 2-for-5 in the opener and scored one of the four runs. Green has now hit safely in 12 straight games in a streak that dates back to the second game of the doubleheader against Gustavus on Apr. 22 of last year. The multiple-hit game is nothing new for Green either. Last year he had an unbelievable 19 multiple-hit games.

JORDAN RULES
Senior Jordan Domine is right behind Green in consecutive games with at least one hit. Domine's 2-for-4 performance against Augustana extended his streak to nine games. He finished 2015 with a hit in eight straight games. Last year Domine had nine multiple-games.

WINDY DAY IN FLORIDA
Concordia struck out 16 times in the opener. That is the most K's by a CC team in a single game since the final contest of the 2004 season when they had 18 in the season finale against St. Olaf.

WHAT'S NEXT
Concordia will play Houghton (N.Y.) in a single game on Monday. The Cobbers and Highlanders will square off in Auburndale, Fla. starting at 1:30 p.m. Last year Concordia swept Houghton 13-0 and 14-2 in a doubleheader on the first day of the season.