Senior Jordan Domine had a two-run game-tying homer in the ninth inning in the Cobbers' season finale at NDSU.
Senior Jordan Domine had a two-run game-tying homer in the ninth inning in the Cobbers' season finale at NDSU.

So Close In Season Finale

FARGO, N.D. (5/10/16)—A week ago Concordia was beaten 10-1 by Division I North Dakota State. Seven days later the Cobbers almost pulled off another DI upset but wound up losing 4-3 in 10 innings to the Bison.

A Jordan Domine two-run home run in the ninth inning tied the game at 3-3 but then NDSU put together three straight singles in the 10th and scored the game-winning run.

The loss in the season finale ends a two-game win streak for the Cobbers. CC ends their 2016 campaign with a 21-18 overall record. The Bison are now 27-21 on the year . They are currently in fourth place in the Summit league standings.

The Cobbers got off to a fast start in the opening inning when Phil Kuball led off the game with a double to left field. He then advanced to third on a ground out and scored on a single off the bat of Tim Carlson.

North Dakota State tied the game in the bottom of the first when they got singles from their first three batters. Domine then threw out a would-be base stealer at second base and then starting pitcher Zack Nelson got a pop out and a strike out to end NDSU's attempt to blow the game open in the first frame.

The Bison would add single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-1 lead. Nelson was able to strand three runners in the fourth inning and had his night ended in the sixth inning after the bases were loaded.

Perhaps the key moment of the game came in the sixth when freshman Fletcher Andel entered the game with the bases loaded and NDSU looking to extend its 3-1 lead. Last week Andel started the game and allowed nine hits in 4.1 innings pitched but seven days later he had his "A" game and got a short fly to right field and then induced a ground out to second to strand the bases loaded.

Andel would pitch 1.2 innings and not allow a hit. Ross Merriman took over at the start of the eighth inning and got all three outs via the strike out. Joe Hallock took the baton in the ninth a pitched a perfect 1-2-3 frame.

Sam Mattson came on for Hallock in the 10th and was saddled with his second loss of the season.

The Cobbers tied the game in the ninth when Carlson started the inning with a single through the right side. Domine then hammered a home run over the left field fence to plate both runs.

Concordia finished the game with eight hits. Carlson and Domine both went 2-for-4. Kuball, Turner Storm, Cody Rahman and Matt Ziebarth also had base knocks in the game.

A THREE HOUR TOUR
The Cobber pitching staff did a great job working out of jams to keep CC in the game. The Bison stranded 12 runners in the game and went 0-for-9 with two outs in an inning.

 A GORP, A GROUND BALL WITH EYES, A DYING QUAIL, A TEXAS LEAGUER
Cobber senior Phil Kuball finished the night 1-for-5 which gave him 158 career hits in his storied four-year career for Concordia. He was just four hits shy of head coach Chris Coste's all-time hit record of 162.

SUMMER WITH GRETZKY
Cody Rahman went 1-for-4 against the Bison. His single in the fifth inning was his 99th career hit. He will now have to wait nine months to become the 24th player in school history to reach the 100-hit plateau.

TAKEN BY STORM
Sophomore Turner Strom capped his breakout season by leading the team in batting average. He went 1-for-4 vs. NDSU which ended his 2016 season with a .390 average. Storm played in 35 games this season after not playing a single inning in the field in 2015.

THE BEAR HAS LEFT THE BUILDING
Tim Carlson had a career year in his senior season. He finished with a .354 average. He had 54 hits, five home runs, 33 RBI 16 walks and 86 total bases – all of which were career highs. Carlson finished with his career with 134 hits which is tied for ninth on the school's all-time career hit list. He also finished with 38 doubles which was one shy of the school record.

Carlson also pitched for the first time in his college career and ended the year with a team-best 1.50 ERA in 12.0 innings pitched.