A Second Split In Florida

AUBURNDALE, Fla. (3/08/23)---Concordia returned to the diamond in Florida after an off day, and the results were the same as the opening day. The Cobbers won the first game going away, but then lost in Game 2.

On Tuesday, the Cobbers scored eight runs on eight hits in Game 1 against Husson (Maine) and then rode the arm of sophomore Alex Rudquist to come away with an 8-1 win. Concordia couldn't come up with the clutch 2-out hit in the second game and lost 5-2.

The Top 2 in the batting order led the Cobber offense against the Eagles. Thomas Horan and Andy Gravdahl had hits in both games and combined for five of the team's 14 hits on the day. Horan was 3-for-8 in the two games, while Gravdahl went 1-for-3 in each contest.

Concordia (2-2) jumped on Husson right away in the opener. They scored two runs on three hits in the very first inning. Wyatt Gunkel plated both runs when he posted a 2-out single that scored Gravdahl and Matt Gruber.

The game would stay at 2-0 until the Cobbers scored twice in the top of the fifth frame. Rudquist was the key factor on the mound. He went 6.0 innings and only allowed two hits while striking out five. He also faced the minimum number of hitters in the second, third fourth and fifth innings. He retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced during that stretch.

The Cobbers doubled their lead in the fifth on a double from Gravdahl, which scored Horan from first after Horan had been plunked to start the inning. Gravdahl came home in the very next at-bat when Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe used his speed to leg out a double.

Freshman Chance Bye put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh inning. He posted his first collegiate extra-base hit on a double that scored Jake Christianson and Gruber.

Christianson was the only Concordia player with more than one hit. He went 2-for-3 from the No.6 spot in the order. CC had their Top 7 batters all collect a hit in Game 1.

Concordia fell behind 4-0 after the top of the third inning in the finale. Husson (3-3) took a page out of the Cobbers Game 1 playbook and came up with a pair of 2-run innings to take the 4-run lead.

The Cobbers posted their two runs of the game when Gravdahl plated Justin Kloster with a single after Kloster had led off the frame with a single and advanced to second on Horan's base knock. Horan came home when Henkemeyer-Howe hit into an infield ground out to the first baseman.  

Kloster and Horan had multiple-hit games as they accounted for four of the team's six hits. Kloster went 2-for-3, while Horan was 2-for-4.

Dylan Erholtz got the start for CC and went 2.0 innings. Luke Levasseur entered in the third inning and pitched the next 2.1 frames. He didn't allow a run and struck out a pair. Max Boran and Matt Gruber finished off the game. They combined to go 2.2 innings and gave up three hits and one earned run. Gruber didn't allow a hit in the final inning.

UP NEXT: Concordia will have another off day before returning to play UMass-Dartmouth in a doubleheader on Thursday, Mar. 9 beginning at 2:30 p.m.