Three-Run Innings Ruin Road DH

ST. JOSEPH, Minn. (4/13/16)—The number three was unkind to Concordia on the 13th.  The Cobbers gave up three three-run innings and lost 4-1 and 8-4 at St. Benedict.

The Cobbers gave up a three runs in the sixth inning of the opener after the game was tied at 1-1 and then allowed three runs in the first and third frames in the finale and fell 8-4.

The two losses drop Concordia to 14-8 in all games and 1-3 in the MIAC. The Blazers snap a two-game losing skid and are 15-9 overall and 3-3 in conference play.

Concordia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when Mackenzie McCloud doubled home Madison Little who got on base with a one-out single.

St. Benedict tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out single. The Blazers then won the game in the sixth by scoring three runs without getting a hit in the inning. The Cobbers committed two costly errors. The biggest of which came with the bases loaded and two outs.

Both teams had four hits in the first game and both teams had four different players get a single hit. McCloud, Little, Sydney Roberts and Kayla Nack had the four base knocks for CC.   

Abigail Haraldson pitched her third straight complete game for the Cobbers. She only allowed two earned runs and four hits while striking out seven.   

The Blazers carried their momentum over to the second game by scoring three runs in the first, two in the second and then three more in the third. The Cobbers cut the lead to 5-4 in the top of the third when they posted their own three-run inning. CSB then countered with a 3-spot in the bottom of the frame.

Concordia started the inning with four straight hits. Nack led off the frame with a double and then scored on a double by Devonie Smith. McCloud and Madi Veith followed with singles to plate another run. CC scored their final run of the inning when Sadie Ness hit a sacrifice fly to center field which plated McCloud.

The teams had the same amount of hits for the second game as well. Both teams put up 10 hits.

Emma Mitzel had a career game as she went 3-for-4. Veith went 2-for-4 to record the only other multiple-hit game for CC.

ON A ROLL
Sophomore Mackenzie McCloud had a hit in both games and has now hit safely in 10 straight games. That is the longest consecutive-hit streak by a CC player this year. During those 10 games McCloud is hitting .452. She now leads the team in hitting with a .390 average.

TWO MORE FOR 100
Junior Madison Little also had a single hit in each game vs. St. Benedict and now has 98 career hits. She needs two more hits to become the 15th player in program history to reach the 100-hit plateau. Little also extended an offensive streak as she has now reached base in 17 straight games.

K QUEEN
Abby Haraldson continues to make hitters miss at a league-leading rate. Haraldson now has an MIAC best 117 K's this season. She has struck out at least six batters in eight consecutive starts. She continues to stay on track to break the school's single-season strikeout record of 152 set back in 2009.    

WHAT'S NEXT
Concordia will return to conference play this weekend. The Cobbers will travel to Minneapolis to take on Augsburg on Saturday at 1 p.m. The two games are the seventh and eighth of CC's 10-game road trip. The Auggies are 14-12 overall and 4-4 in the MIAC and have split their last two league twinbills.