Oh So Close To An MIAC-Opening Sweep

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/10/16)—Concordia was one pitch away from sweeping Macalester in a blustery conference opener. The Cobbers lost the opener 2-1 but then came back to take the second game 5-3.

The defeat in the first game ended Concordia's eight game win streak. The split gives the Cobbers a 14-6 overall record. The Scots have now split both of their MIAC doubleheaders this season.
 
Macalester (9-13/2-2 MIAC) scored all of their runs in the first game on a one-out home run to center field. Cobber starting pitcher Abigail Haraldson would hold the Scots offense off the board for the final six innings of the game. Haraldson gave up two hits in the first inning but then only three for the next six frames. 

She finished Game 1 by striking out nine and only allowing five hits.

Concordia was outhit 5-3 in the opener. The Cobbers didn't get their first hit of the game until the fifth inning when Kayla Nack dropped a single into left field.

Concordia scored their lone run in the game in the seventh inning. Mackenzie McCloud led off the seventh with a single up the middle. She came around to score when freshman Nicole Johannes laced a two-out double to right field. The Cobbers were unable to have a chance to score the game-tying run as a pinch runner for Johannes got picked off of second base on the very next at-bat.

The Cobbers carried over the offensive momentum from the last inning of the first game to the opening inning of the nightcap. CC scored four runs on five hits in inning to bolt out to a 4-0 lead.

The biggest hit in the four-run frame came off the bat of Emma Mitzel who had a single to deep shortstop that scored two runs.

Macalester would cut the lead to 4-2 with a two-run homer in the third and then get to within a single run in the fifth inning.

The Cobbers would add a much-needed insurance run in the bottom of the fifth when Johannes singled home Gabby Gardner who had led off the inning with a single through the left side of the infield.

Concordia outhit Macalester 10-8 in the second game. Gardner, McCloud and Johannes all had two hits in the game.

Haraldson pitched her second complete game of the day to earn her ninth win of the season. She pitched out of bases loaded jams in the first and fifth innings. Haraldson struck out six batters in the second game.   

FORMIDABLE 14
Concordia's 14 overall wins this season is the most by a CC team since the 2009 season when they went 14-22. The last time the team had an overall winning record was back in 2002.

100's of K's
Junior pitcher Abigail Haraldson had 15 strikeouts in the two games against Macalester. She now has 108 on the year which marks the first time in her career she has surpassed the 100-K mark. Haraldson continues to lead the MIAC in strikeouts. She now has one more K than Kierstin Anderson-Glass of St. Thomas.

FOUR MORE
Junior outfielder Madison Little had a double in the second game and now has 96 career hits. She is on the verge of becoming the 15th player in program history to reach the 100-hit mark. Little had her nine-game hit streak come to an end in the first game against the Scots. She did reach base in the opener and has now reached base in 15 consecutive games.

REACHING FOR THE MCCLOUDS
Sophomore third baseman Mackenzie McCloud had a hit in both games and has now had at least one hit in eight straight games which is the currently the longest hit streak on the team. McCloud went 3-for-5 on the day and now leads the team with a .404 average. She is tied for 11th in the MIAC in hitting after only hitting .179 in her freshman season last year. McCloud has at least one hit in 15 of the 19 games she has played this year.

WHAT'S NEXT
Concordia will play four conference doubleheaders next week. The Cobbers will play at St. Benedict on Tuesday and return home to face Bethel on Thursday. CC will then repeat the away-home scenario when they travel to St. Paul to take on St. Thomas on Saturday and then host Gustavus on Sunday.