Run-And-Hit Parade In St. Paul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/10/21)---Fans of extra innings and lots of offense were in the right place on Saturday in St. Paul for the Cobbers' non-conference doubleheader against Hamline.

The two teams played a pair of extra innings in the second game and combined to put up 26 runs and 45 hits over 16 innings in both contest. Concordia came away with a 10-7 victory in the first game and then the Pipers scored the game-winning run in the ninth inning in Game 2 to prevail 5-4.

The two games on Saturday marked the fifth time the teams have faced each other in the last eight days. The Cobbers came away with the series victory by beating HU in three of the five contests.

The non-conference split moves Concordia's record to 8-6 on the year. Hamline is now 5-11.

The first game witnessed more runs but the finale produced more hits between the teams.

The Cobbers fell behind early in the opener as the Pipers scored five times in the first inning to take a 5-1 lead. Concordia would get to within one run with one swing of the bat in the third inning. Toby Sayles started the 4-run third with a double down the left-field line. Dawson Leer and Andy Gravdahl walked to load the bases and then sophomore Thomas Horan proceeded to unload the bases with his second home run in as many games.

Horan's blast to right field brought CC to within one at 5-4 which set the stage for the fourth inning when CC scored three more times to take a 7-5 lead.

Leer brought home the first run with a perfectly placed bunt that scored Justin Kloster from third. Gravdahl doubled home Sayles and then Horan brought home his fifth run of the game with a ground out.

The Cobbers then tacked on single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to win 10-7.

Concordia outhit Hamline 11-9 in Game 1 and had three home runs. Sean McGuire led the way by going 3-for-4 with an RBI in the No.4 spot in the order. Gravdahl and Sayles had the other multiple-hit games in the opener. Gravdahl was 2-for-3 with two runs, two RBI and connected on his first homer of the year. Sayles went 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Mason Penske had the other Cobber "yard shot". He went 1-for-4 and cranked out his first HR of the year.

Sophomore Gabe Duncan was the beneficiary of CC's high-scoring offense as he pitched the first 4.0 innings and came away with his first collegiate victory. Luke Levasseur and Mason Penske finished off the seven innings. Penske went 1.1 innings and didn't allow a run or a hit to record his team-leading second save of the season.

The nightcap didn't produce as many runs but the teams pounded out 25 total hits. Game 2 was a reverse score line from the opener with Concordia grabbing a 4-0 lead and then having Hamline come back to record the win.

The Cobbers got a single run, on a Penske RBI single, in the first and then added three more in the third. The big hit in that inning came off the bat of freshman Chrisanto D'Agostino who hammered a 2-out double to center that plated Horan and McGuire.

Hamline proceeded to eat into the 4-run deficit one bite at a time. They scored single runs in the third, fifth, sixth and seventh to tie the game and then won it in the ninth with a 2-out single.

The Cobbers put up 11 hits in Game 2. Gravdahl and McGuire had their second multiple-hit game of the afternoon while Penske was 2-for-4 and Max Boran went 2-for-3.

The Cobbers used five pitchers in the second game. Mitch Porter started and went 4,0 innings. He only allowed one run. Matt Gruber, Penske, Sayles and Boran all followed with only Boran going more than one full inning.

STREAK STUFF: Gruber had a hit in both games to extend his hit streak to 13 games. He is second on the team with a .426 average. Horan reached base in both games to up his on-base streak to 14. He has reached safely in every CC game this year. McGuire and Gravdahl both upped their multiple-hit game total to seven. McGuire leads the team with a .458 average which is fifth highest in the MIAC.
 
UP NEXT: The Cobbers return home and host Augsburg on Tuesday, Apr. 13 in a conference doubleheader slated to start at 2:30 p.m. The Auggies are 3-12 this season and 1-6 in the MIAC.     

RECAP SPONSOR: Today's recap sponsor is RDO Equipment. Cobber athletics would like to thank RDO Equipment for their continued support of Concordia student/athletes.