Arden Hills Is Unkind To Cobbers' Playoff Hopes

ARDEN HILLS, Minn. (5/07/22)---Concordia dropped a pair of game at league champion Bethel in the final road doubleheader of the regular season. The Cobbers were blanked 4-0 in the opener, and then spotted the Royals six runs to start Game 2 and lost 12-4.

The two losses severely dwindles the Cobbers' playoff hopes. Concordia will need Hamline to beat St. Scholastica at least once on Saturday night to avoid being mathematically eliminated.    

Concordia is now 9-9 in the MIAC and 14-13 overall. Bethel wins for the sixth time in the last eight games and improves to 16-4 in the conference and 30-9 in all games.   

The difference in the first game was the long ball. Bethel hit a pair of homers that accounted for three of the team's four runs.

Another key in Game 1 was the Cobbers' hitting with men on base. CC went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and 2-for-10 with runners on base.

The Royals outhit Concordia 9-6 in the opener. CC had six different players with one hit each. Andy Gravdahl, Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe, Jake Christianson, Max Boran, Justin Kloster and Noah Pilon all had a hit each with Henkemeyer-Howe getting the only extra-base hit when he doubled in the first inning.

Junior Ashwin Stratton pitched all 6.0 innings for the Cobbers. All four runs were earned in the game. He allowed the nine hits, but didn't walk a batter and struck out four.

Concordia fell behind 6-0 after five innings in Game 2. The Royals posted single runs in the first and third, and two runs each in the second and fifth frames.

The Cobbers cut the lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth when Henkemeyer-Howe doubled home Gravdahl, and then scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Kloster.

Bethel would break the game open with a 5-spot in the bottom of the seventh. Concordia was able to get two of those runs back in the eighth. David Dorsey's ground out scored Canaan Fagerland who had a 1-out single to center field. Pilon then plated Christianson who got on board via a hit by pitch.

Concordia had 10 hits in the second game. Gravdahl went 3-for-5 to post the only multiple-hit game.

The Cobbers used five pitchers in the final road game of the year. Mitch Porter got the start. He was followed by Ethan Beyer, Christianson, Bryan Weideman and Jack Naugle. Naugle had the most success of the five as he pitched the final 0.2 innings and didn't allow a hit or a run.

GREAT GRAVY: Gravdahl has excelled down the stretch for the Cobbers. He had a hit in both games against the Royals and has now hit safely in 16 straight games. He went 4-for-8 on the day to up his season average to .422. With his 4-hit day, he overtook Henkemeyer-Howe for the team lead in hitting and is now fourth in the MIAC in average.

GREAT GRAVY 2.0: Gravdahl now has 43 hits on the season which is his career high for hits in a year. He also has 130 career hits which is tied for 13th on the program's all-time hit list.

Cobber Baseball All-Time Hit Leaders
1. 162 - Chris Coste – 1993-95
2. 158 - Phil Kuball - 2013-16
3. 148 - Chad Felstul - 1999-02
4. 147 - Michael Olson - 2011-14
5. 140 - Kyle Johnson - 2006-09
6. 137 - Jake Krause - 2007-10
7. 137 - Ryan Hebrink - 2001-04
T8. 136 - Derek Dormanen - 2000-03
T8. 136 - Chris Klabo - 2004-07
T8. 136 – Cody Rahman – 2013-17
T11. 134 - Tim Carlson - 2013-16  
T11. 134 - Kent Kuball – 1982-85
T13. 130 - Devin Johnson - 2013-15
T13. 130 - Andy Gravdahl - 2018-22

UP NEXT: The Cobbers are schedule to host third-place Gustavus on Sunday, May 8 at 1 p.m., but the forecast for rain in the F-M area could changes those plans.