Wind Sweeps Cobbers Back On Winning Track

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/17/24)---A bases-clearing, 2-out, bases-loaded double from Ben Shumansky and a 14-hit attack in Game 2 catapulted Concordia to a 3-1, 11-1 (7 innings) sweep over Carleton in a key MIAC match-up between the two teams.  

The Cobber and Knights entered the day deadlocked in fifth place in the MIAC standings with identical 5-5 records. With the sweep, Concordia grabs sole possession of fifth place and only a game out of fourth place – the final spot in the conference playoffs.  

CC is now 10-16 overall and has won six of its past eight games, with sweeps over Hamline, Macalester and Carleton.

Game 1: Concordia 3, Carleton 1
It was a battle of the two starting pitchers in the opener. Both hurlers went the distance and both pitchers only gave up runs in a single inning.

Cobber starter Jacoby Nold allowed a single unearned run in the first frame then retired 15 of the next 18 batters he faced in the final 6.0 innings to pick up his second win of the year. He didn't allow a runner to get past first base after the first frame as he allowed only three hits, no walks and struck out five.

Carleton starter Ananth Iyer was cruising along until the fifth inning. He only conceded one hit through the first four innings and had retired nine of the 10 batters he faced heading into the fifth frame.

Concordia was able to get to Iyer in the fifth inning. Justin Kloster was hit by a pitch with one out to start the CC rally. Caiden Kjelstrom followed with a walk and then Thomas Horan loaded the bases with a single to center field. A strikeout sent Shumansky to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. The Cobbers were hoping to escape the ailment they had on Saturday when they couldn't get runners across home plate with the bases loaded and Shumansky delivered in a big way. He lined a double into the left-center field gap which allowed all three runners to score. The double was Shumansky's team-leading sixth of the season.

Both teams had three hits in the opener. Besides the double from Shumansky and the single from Horan in the fifth, leadoff hitter Caiden Kjelstrom also had a base knock.  

The complete game was Nold's second consecutive distance special. He also pitched 7.0 innings in Concordia's 15-1 win over Macalester.

Game 2: Concordia 11, Carleton 1 (7 innings)
Concordia never trailed in the second game as they put up crooked numbers in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to come away with the 11-1 win which ended after seven innings because of the 10-run rule.

David Dorsey tripled home Horan to give CC the early 1-0 lead after one frame. The Knights tied the game with a solo homer in the second before the Cobbers ripped off four runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and three more in the sixth.

Drew Dorsey, Kloster and Horan all had 2-RBI hits in the game. Drew Dorsey drove in a pair with a single up the middle in the fourth, Kloster had a 2-run double in the fifth and Horan plated two with a double in the sixth. Horan also drove in the final run of the game when he hit a sacrifice fly which scored Drew Dorsey to end the game in the seventh.  

CC had 14 hits in the finale with Kjelstrom, Horan, the Dorsey brothers and Shumansky all collecting multiple-hit games. Shumansky was 3-for-4 to record the first 3-hit game of his career.

Alex Rudquist, Thad Lieser and Dylan Erholtz combined to pitch a 4-hit game. Rudquist opened on the bump, gave up the lone run on two hits and struck out five. Lieser and Erholtz both pitched a single inning and both pitchers allowed a single hit.

UP NEXT: Concordia will take to the road to face Gustavus on Saturday, Apr. 20 and then Martin Luther on Sunday, Apr. 21.