Different Rally Endings In MIAC Opener

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/02/17)--- Concordia opened the 2017 MIAC season by splitting a pair of games at Macalester. The Cobbers took the opener 5-3 but then had their comeback in the finale fall just short and lost 8-6.

Joe Hallock and Nate Leintz hit home runs in the first game to spark the victory for the Cobbers and then Chad Johnson and Cody Rahman hit long balls in the nightcap.

Concordia has now won three of its last five games and moves to 9-8 in all games on the year. The Scots lose for the first time in three games and are now 11-7 for the season.

The Cobbers had to rally from behind on two different occasions in the first game. Macalester took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first before Rahman tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the second after he doubled and then came home on a throwing error.

The Scots claimed a two-run lead in the bottom of the third before CC ran off four straight scores to record the 5-3 victory.

Hallock and Leintz started the run-scoring spree when they hit solo home runs in the fourth inning. Hallock led off the inning with a deep blast down the left field line and then two batters later Leintz cleared the wall in left field.

The Cobbers scored the game-winning run in the fifth when Hallock doubled home Nate Hoeft who led off the inning with a single.

The insurance run came in the sixth. Leintz scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of freshman Swanson after Leintz reached base on a fielding error to start the frame.

Fletcher Andel pitched the first six innings and gave up only two earned runs and struck out four. Hallock capped off his productive first game by striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.

The Cobbers finished with seven hits in Game 1. Hallock and Rahman were the only two CC hitters with multiple-hit games.

Concordia once again fell behind early in the second game and then roared back to tie the score in the fourth inning. The Scots scored once in the first and then tacked on three more in the third to take a 4-0 lead.

The Cobbers tied the game with a 4-spot in the fourth. Rahman had a two-run dinger to left. Hoeft laid down a perfect bunt which scored Alec Sames from third base and then Swanson scored on a wild pitch later in the frame.

Unfortunately CC would allow another single-triple run combination in the fifth and sixth innings to fall behind 8-4.

Concordia tried to come all the way back in the ninth inning when Chad Johnson led off the frame with a solo shot to left center field. Grant Toivonen was then hit by a pitch and came all the around to score on a sacrifice fly but CC would fall two runs short on the comeback trail.

The Cobbers had 10 hits in the second game and were led by multiple-hit games from Johnson, Toivonen and Sames. Hallock, Rahman and Leintz had single hits to record at least one base knock in both ends of the doubleheader.

CC used four pitchers in the nightcap. Cole Christensen started the game and went the first 5.0 innings. He allowed five earned runs and struck out four.

Drew Olsonawski, Rahman and Turner Storm all pitched single innings in the sixth, seventh and eighth frames. Rahman and Storm combined to pitch scoreless seventh and eighth frames and only allowed one hit.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will have a single non-conference game at Minn.-Morris on Tuesday, Apr. 4 and then return home to host Bethel on Wednesday, Apr. 5 at 1 p.m. at Bucky Burgau Field. The Cougars are 5-11 on the season while the Royals are 17-3 and 2-0 in MIAC play.