Sixth-Inning Woes In Winona

WINONA, Minn. (4/28/23)---All good things must come to an end, and so it was with the Cobbers' double-digit run streak. Concordia failed to score at least 10 runs in at least one game of a DH for the first time in five twinbills and lost 10-3 and 9-5.

Two days after combing for 31 runs and 34 hits in a sweep at Hamline, Concordia was held to eight runs and 19 hits in the two games in Winona.

The two losses also end a 10-game streak where the Cobbers went 9-1. CC is now back to .500 in all games at 15-15. CC is now 9-5 in conference play and slides into fourth place in the league standings.

The critical inning in both games was the sixth. The Cobbers gave up five runs in both sixth innings of the doubleheader. In both games, Concordia was right with the Cardinals heading into the sixth, but in both games, SMU left the sixth in firm control of the score line. CC trailed 5-3 heading into the sixth of Game 1 and then slipped into a 10-3 hole heading into the seventh. In the second game, the score was tied at 4-4, but then St. Mary's bolted to a 9-5 lead with the 5-run frame.   

Concordia never led in the first game as they fell behind 3-0 in the opening inning of play. The Cobbers were able to make the score 3-2 with a pair of runs in the third. Andy Gravdahl produced a run-scoring single, and then an Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe ground out brought home the second run.

The third run for CC in the opener came when Thomas Horan tripled down the right-field line and scored on a ground out off the bat of Wyatt Gunkel.

The Cobbers had seven hits in the first game. Gravdahl and Max Boran had 2-hit games with Horan, Caiden Kjelstrom and David Dorsey picking up the other base knocks.

Alex Rudquist went the distance on the hill. He pitched 6.0 innings, allowed eight earned runs on eight hits and fanned five batters.

Both teams had 12 hits in the second game, but the 5-run sixth for the Cardinals proved to be the difference.

The Top 7 hitters in the Cobbers' batting order all had at least one hit. Gravdahl and Kjelstrom both had 3-hit games – and both went 3-for-5. Gravdahl connected on his team-leading third home run of the year went he went yard with a solo shot in the fifth inning.

Horan, Dorsey and Carter Mulcahy all had doubles in the game.

Mitch Porter got the start in Game 2 for CC. He went 5.2 innings, allowed four earned runs and struck out four. Ethan Beyer and Max Boran closed out the game. Boran went the final 2.0 innings, didn't concede a run and allowed only one hit.

UP NEXT: Concordia will look to get back to their winning ways when they host Macalester on Saturday, Apr. 29 at 2 p.m. at Starion Field in West Fargo.