The Big Maroon Machine Rolls On

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/26/23)---What in the name of the '76 Cincinnati Reds is happening? Just when you think the Cobber baseball team can't put up any more impressive offensive numbers, they go and score a combined 31 runs and pound out 34 hits in a 2-game sweep at Hamline.

The Big Maroon Machine cruised to an 11-2 win in the opener and then erased deficits of 9-4 and 15-12 in Game 2 to outscore the Pipers 20-16.

Concordia has won nine of its past 10 games and has a 15-13 overall record after starting the year at 6-12. The Cobbers are now 9-3 in the MIAC, putting them in sole possession of third place.

The 1976 Reds boasted an offense that featured players like Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, George Foster, Pete Rose and Ken Griffey. They put up almost 200 more runs than the next closest teams – and are considered to be one of the best offenses in the history of MLB.

The 2022 Cobbers have put up an average of 12.2 runs in their last 10 games, scored in double figures in eight of the 10 contests and are hitting .395 during that stretch. They feature 100-career-hit players Andy Gravdahl, Matt Gruber and Thomas Horan and have regulars Jake Christianson, Caiden Kjelstrom and Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe all hitting above .325. They lead the MIAC in batting average and runs per game in league play – and are on track to becoming the best offense in program history.

Concordia set the tone for the day at CHS Field in the very first inning when they scored three runs on three hits. Horan picked up the first of his five hits and the first two of seven RBI on the day.

Horan gave CC a 4-0 lead when he led off the fourth inning with his first home run of the season. The moon shot was also his fifth career long ball.

Hamline (10-22, 6-8 MIAC) matched the Cobbers' single run in the bottom of the fourth, and then CC broke the game open with a 6-pack in the fifth. The big hit of the inning came courtesy of Wyatt Gunkel, who laced a 2-out double to left field that cleared the bases after Concordia had loaded bases on walks by David Dorsey and Justin Kloster.

Concordia outhit the Pipers 12-5 in Game 1. Horan went 2-for-4 with three RBI.

Gruber led all players with three base knocks. He went 3-for-4 with three RBI. Christianson and Gunkel also had multiple-hit games for the Cobbers.

Ashwin Stratton got the start and lasted 5.0 innings. He allowed one earned run on only two hits. Mason Klevgaard pitched the sixth, and Chance Bye threw a perfect seventh frame.

The second game is beyond description. Concordia gave up four runs in the first and five more in the second to fall behind 9-4. The Cobbers countered with one in the third and five in the fifth to take a 10-9 lead.

Wait, we're not even close to being done yet.  

Concordia put up two more in the seventh inning and led 12-10 with two innings left in the game. The Pipers appeared to have won the game and earned a split in the series when they scored five times in the bottom of the eighth inning to grab a 15-12 lead.

Cue the Big Maroon Machine, which scored eight runs on eight hits in the top of the ninth and left the crowd in total disbelief. The Cobbers sent 12 hitters to the plate in the game-deciding inning, scoring seven of the eight runs with two outs in the frame.

Concordia went 10-for-18 (.556) with two outs in an inning in Game 2. The 10, 2-out hits are believed to be a single-game school record.

Max Boran had two of his three doubles in the game in the eighth inning and drove in two runs with his second 2-bagger.

The Cobbers recorded a season-high 22 hits in the finale. All nine hitters in the order had at least one hit, and six of the nine had multiple-hit games.

Gravdahl led all players by going 4-for-5 with five RBI and his second homer of the year. Boran put up career-best numbers by posting a 4-for-6 game with four runs scored and two RBI. It was the first 4-hit game of his career.

Christianson, Horan and Dorsey all had 3-hit games for the Cobbers.

Concordia used four pitchers to get the win. Kyle Cluff got his first victory of the year by eating up 5.0 innings from the fourth to the eighth inning.

The Cobbers also used Jacoby Nold, Luke Levasseur and Dylan Inniger. Levasseur took over for Nold, who started the game, and didn't allow a run over 1.2 innings. Inniger finished off the game by pitching the ninth inning.

DOUBLE DEUCE RANCH: In a tribute to Cobber Hall of Fame coach Bucky Burgau, the Cobbers' 22 hits in Game 2 are the most in an MIAC game for Concordia since they dropped 25 hits in a 22-10 win on May 1, 1999.

TED TALKS: Gravdahl has now entered the world of Ted Williams. With his five hits on the day, he is now hitting a Splendid Splinter-like .411. And you ask, what's the Cobber record for the highest average in a season? That would belong to the HC Chris Coste, who hit .491 in 1994.

Gravdahl currently leads the MIAC in hits, OPS, slugging percentage and triples in conference play. He is hitting .558 in the team's 12 league games with a 1.493 OPS.    

UP NEXT: The Big Maroon Machine will look to continue its roll when they travel to Winona to take on St. Mary's on Friday, Apr. 28 at 1 p.m.