100 And A Walkoff

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/22/18)---There was a milestone in the first game and game-winning drama in the second as Concordia split the final doubleheader of a six-game conference weekend.

Senior Turner Storm became the 26th player in program history to reach the 100-hit plateau in the Cobbers' 6-5 loss in the opener and then fellow senior Chad Johnson pounded a 1-1 pitch over the left-center field fence with two outs in bottom of the seventh inning to give Concordia a 6-5 walkoff win in the finale.

The split with the Oles gives the Cobbers a 4-2 record for the weekend and keeps their overall record above the .500 mark at 12-11. CC is now 5-3 in conference play and tied for fourth place in the MIAC standings as they near the midway point of the conference season.

Storm entered the day with 99 career hits and stepped into the 100-hit club with a double down the left field line in the fifth inning of the opener. His RBI two-bagger was part of a two-run inning that tied the game at 4-4.

St. Olaf (11-11/1-5 MIAC) took a 6-4 lead with single runs in the sixth and seventh frames before the Cobbers nearly tied the game in the seventh. Storm recorded his 101st hit with one out in the inning which scored Alec Sames who walked in the previous at-bat. CC then loaded the bases on a pair of defensive miscues but a game-ending double play ground ball halted the Cobbers' comeback attempt at 6-5.

Concordia pounded out seven hits in Game 1 and was led by Storm who went 2-for-4 with two RBI.

Ty Syverson pitched the first 6.0 innings and allowed three earned runs on six hits and struck out two batters. Adam Nibaur pitched the seventh frame and allowed one run on three hits.

The Cobbers never trailed in the second game as they scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. The Oles tied the game in the third but then CC retook the lead with sacrifice fly off the bat of Storm that plated Nate Hoeft in the bottom of the inning.

Concordia took its biggest lead of the day by scoring a pair of runs in the fourth inning. St. Olaf would score three times in the fifth to tie the game at 5-5 and set the stage for Johnson's seventh-inning heroics.

The Cobbers had eight hits in the nightcap and Johnson had three of those as he went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Hoeft was also 3-for-4 from the leadoff spot and scored two runs. Mason Penske and Grant Toivonen had the other base knocks for the Cobbers.

CC used three pitchers in almost equal amounts. Tanner McBain got the start and last the first 2.2 innings. He only allowed one earned run and one hit but walked six batters. Drew Olsonawski came on in the third inning and went 2.0 innings. He allowed three earned runs on two hits. Nibaur then pulled double duty on the day as he got the win by finishing the final 2.1 innings. He didn't allow a run and worked out of a first and third situation in the fifth frame. The win was Nibaur's second of the season.

HAVE A WEEKEND: Chad Johnson played in all six games on the weekend and hit a team-best .409. He also posted a team-best .519 on-base percentage and .636 slugging percentage.

HAVE A WEEKEND TOO: Concordia had a pair of pitchers throw 6.0 or more innings and finish with an ERA of less than 1.25. Freshman Colin Rchards went 6.0 innings and didn't give up a run in the Cobbers' first-game win over Augsburg and Alex Erickson kicked off the weekend by pitching 8.0 innings and allowing a single earned run min the win over St. Thomas.

RUN RANTS: Concordia won all four games on the weekend by one run and is now 5-3 in one-run games this year. The Cobbers scored 24 runs in the six games at home and 12 of those came in the sixth inning or later.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will play at St. John's on Wednesday, Apr. 25 and then return home to host Gustavus and St. Mary's next weekend.    

CHAD JOHNSON WALKOFF HOME RUN: