9th-Inning Comeback Keeps Cobbers In Playoff Hunt

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (5/04/24)---Concordia kept its playoff hopes alive with a dramatic come-from-behind victory in the ninth inning of Game 2 at Augsburg to come away with the sweep of the Auggies.

The Cobbers led wire-to-wire in the opener to post a 12-3 win and then erased a 6-5 deficit in Game 2 with an 8-run ninth inning to record a 13-6 win.

The sweep ups the Cobbers' MIAC record to 10-8 with two games left in the conference season. CC is now 13-20 overall. Augsburg falls to 9-23 in all games and 6-14 in league play.
    
Game 1: Concordia 12, Augsburg 3
Concordia never trailed in the opener as they posted the 9-run win. The Cobbers used the arm of Jacoby Nold and three big innings on offense to down the Auggies to get the win.

Nold posted his third straight complete game in his last four outings to record his third win of the year. He went the full 7.0 innings, allowed five hits, three earned runs and struck out seven. He has now fanned 24 hitters in the last 26.0 innings he has pitched.

The Cobbers' set the tone in the very first inning when they scored three runs on two hits. After a pair of walks to David Dorsey and Ben Shumansky, Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe singled to left field to score Dorsey and then Drew Dorsey drilled a triple to dead center field to plate Shumansky and Henkemeyer-Howe.

Concordia put the game to bed when they scored five runs on three hits in the fifth. Wyatt Gunkel had the biggest hit as he came through with a bases-loaded double to center field. Thomas Horan brought home the other two runners in the frame with a 1-out single down the right-field line.

CC closed out the score line with three more runs in the seventh. David Dorsey plated two runs with a 2-out single and Caiden Kjelstrom scored Horan on an infield single.

Horan was 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI and two runs scored. David Dorsey had the other multi-hit game. He went 2-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBI. Gunkel led all players with three RBI which all came on the double in the fifth.   

Game 2: Concordia 13, Augsburg 6
While the Cobbers never trailed in Game 1, they needed an 8-run ninth inning to erase a 6-5 deficit and come away with the 13-6 win.

Augsburg heled a 5-2 lead after two innings in the finale before the Cobbers scored three times in the fourth to tie the game at 5-5. Justin Kloster, Zack Ehnstrom and Kjelstrom all had RBI base hits to bring CC level.

The Auggies took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the fourth and held that 1-run margin until the ninth frame.

David Dorsey led off the game-deciding inning with a walk. He took second on a wild pitch and scored the tying run on a Henkemeyer-Howe single. After a Shumansky single, Horan delivered the game-winning hit when he doubled to right-center field.

Concordia would send 12 hitters to the plate in the ninth inning. David Dorsey and Henkemeyer-Howe would also add two-RBI hits to bring the final total to 13-6.

The Cobbers outhit Augsburg 15-9 in the nightcap. Horan had a season-high four hits as he went 4-for-5 with three RBI. David Dorsey, Henkemeyer-Howe, Shumansky and Kloster all posted 2-hit games.

Alex Rudquist started on the mound and went 4.0 innings before handing the ball to the Cobber bullpen. Dylan Erholtz and Kyle Cluff followed and kept the Auggies off the board for the final 5.0 innings. Erholtz pitched the middle 3.0 innings and gave up three hits. Cluff closed out the contest by pitching 2.0 perfect innings. He recorded his first win of the season.

Horan finished the doubleheader by going 7-for-9 with five RBI and three runs scored. The 7-hit DH upped his season batting average to .319 which is third best on the Cobbers.

Henkemeyer-Howe went 3-for-9 on the day and is hitting .324 while Davie Dorsey continues to lead the team with a .336 average.
  
UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off the 2024 season when they host St. Mary's on Monday, May 6 at 1 p.m.