Gravdahl + Henkemeyer-Howe + Young Pitchers = Sweep

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (03/07/22)--- Concordia will know now that the official warm-up period when you start the season in Florida is three games.

The Cobbers capped their spring trip by sweeping Marian (Wis.) 6-4 and 5-1. Concordia trailed for only two innings during the two games as they won for the third straight game – and fourth in the final five games of their trip.

Concordia heads back to Minnesota with a 5-4 overall record after starting their southern swing with a 1-3 mark.     

Cobber 2-sport athletes Andy Gravdahl and Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe continued to spark the offense from the top of the batting order. Both players posted multiple-hit games in each contest. Gravdahl extended his team-best hit streak to nine games as he was 4-for-7 on the day. Henkemeyer-Howe was 5-for-8 and now leads the team in hitting with a .560 average.

Another encouraging sign was the continued development of first-year pitchers. Concordia had freshman hurlers win both games and underclass pitchers pick up saves in each contest. Jacoby Nold earned his first collegiate win in the opener, and then Alex Rudquist accomplished the same feat in the finale. Kyle Cluff and Dylan Inniger were the pitchers who recorded the two saves in the sweep.

Concordia never trailed in the first game and scored the first six runs in the contest. The Cobbers' big inning was the third when they scored four runs on four hits. The big base knock came from junior outfielder Justin Kloster who gapped a 2-out double that scored three runs. Gravdahl picked up the other RBI in the inning when he legged out an infield single.

The Cobbers led 6-0 in Game 1, but then Marian came back to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Sabres had the tying run on first base when Cluff entered the game and got the final out on a pop out to second base.

Concordia outhit Marian 7-6 in the opener with both teams having a pair of doubles for their only extra-base hits.

Marian (2-2) grabbed their only lead of the day when they scored a single run in the top of the first in Game 2. The pitching duo of Rudquist and Inniger then held the Sabres scoreless through the final six innings and only allowed two hits.

The Cobbers did all their damage in two innings. They scored a trio of runs in the third and then added two more in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

The 3-run, third inning featured four hits and was keyed by the double from Matt Gruber that scored two runs.

Henkemeyer-Howe had the big hit in the sixth when he recorded a 2-out single that scored Gruber and Gravdahl.

Concordia heled a 10-4 advantage in hits in the second game.

The Cobbers have six regular players who will leave Florida with at least a .300 average. Henkemeyer-Howe leads the sextet with his .560 average. Also hitting over .300 are Wyatt Gunkel (.538), Gruber (.412), Gravdahl (.410), Carter Mulcahy (.318) and Thomas Horan (.306).

UP NEXT: Concordia will have an 18-day break before returning to action on Friday, Mar. 25. The Cobbers will head to Wheaton, Ill. to take on St. Scholastica and Wheaton at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.