Posted: Apr 12, 2025
A Tale Of Two Final-Inning Rallies
Game 2
Game 2
St. Olaf
(16-6, 7-1)
6
Concordia-M'head
(13-11, 5-5)
7
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Olaf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1 |
|
Concordia-M'head | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 4 |
MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/12/25)---Concordia fell just short of its comeback in Game 1 but then put together an improbable 5-run rally in the bottom of the ninth in the second game to gain a split in its series with league-leading St. Olaf. The Cobbers were edged 4-3 in the opener and then returned the 1-run favor by claiming a 7-6 victory in Game 2.
The gritty 2-out rally in the ninth helped the Cobber stay in the thick of the MIAC place as they are 5-5 in league play and alone in sixth place in the conference standings. CC is 13-11 in all games this year. The Oles lost for the first time in the MIAC and are now 7-1 against league opponents and 16-6 overall.
Game 1: Concordia 3, St. Olaf 4
The teams traded single runs in the first inning of Game 1, and it looked like it would be another big-run day for the Cobbers. Both starting pitchers settled into the game in the second, and there were only 12 more hits in the final six innings of play.
St. Olaf was able to scratch out a pair of runs in the third and added the eventual game-winning run in the sixth inning.
The Cobbers started their first, final-inning comeback when Brayden Wolfgram led off the seventh by getting on base via an infield error. Justin Kloster followed with a single that sent Wolfgram to third base. Wolfgram scored on a fielder's choice ground ball to cut the lead to 4-2. Caiden Kjelstrom and Thomas Horan posted singles that trimmed the deficit to 4-3 with two outs and put runners on first and third. Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe nearly gave CC a pair of walkoff wins when he sent a long fly ball to center field, but the ball was eventually caught on the warning track to finish off the game.
The Oles held a slim 8-7 edge in hits in the opener with Kjelstrom, Horan and Kloster all coming away with 2-hit contests.
Concordia went with the all-Dylan pitching staff for the opener. Dylan Inniger started the game and went 5.0 innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits and struck out five. Dylan Erholtz finished off the last 2.0 frames and allowed a single run on three hits and fanned three.
Game 2: Concordia 7, St. Olaf 6
Due to time constraints, we're going to fast-forward to the eighth inning in the recap of Game 2. With the game tied at 2-2, the Oles used a string of well-placed bunts to score three times in the eighth. They thought they added a third insurance run in the ninth to bring the score to 6-2, but that's when things turned in the Cobbers' favor.
Concordia ended up scoring five runs on four hits in the final half inning, but it was a pair of walks that proved to be the difference.
Horan knocked a one-out base hit through the right side of the infield to put runners on first and third. Henkemeyer-Howe followed with a single to left field, and the run parade was a foot. After a pop out brought Concordia down to its last out and CC responded by coming up with five successful at-bats – three of which came via the walk.
David Dorsey started the 2-out rally with a huge double down the right-field line that scored Horan and Henkemeyer-Howe to bring the Cobbers within one at 6-5. Wolfgram coaxed a walk and was replaced on the base paths by Mason Henry. The "I don't believe we scored another 2-out run" hit came off the bat of Luke Van Erp, who tied the game at 6-6 with a single into left field. Wyatt Gunkel was used as a pinch hitter and loaded the bases with the third walk of the inning.
Luke Knudsen stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning, and for the second time, he earned a walk. His second free pass brought the house down and gave Concordia the 7-6 win.
The Cobbers outhit St. Olaf 8-7 in the nightcap. Horan continued to have the hot hand from the No.3 spot in the lineup and went 3-for-5. Van Erp was 2-for-3 with the game-tying RBI, while Knudsen was 1-for-2 with four walks.
Concordia used four pitchers to get the win. Jacoby Nold led off with 5.0 innings and allowed two runs on three hits and struck out three. Wyatt Mohr pitched scoreless sixth and seventh frames and gave way to Ethan Beyer, who got three outs in the eighth. Junior J Riley Ohm earned the "good luck" pitcher of the day award as he didn't allow an earned run in the ninth and picked up his first collegiate win.
Concordia will finish off their 6-game homestand when they host Buena Vista in a doubleheader on Sunday, Apr. 13, beginning at noon.
Record Watch: With his five hits on Saturday, Horan needs only three more base knocks to become the program's all-time hit leader. He has 195 career hits and trails only Andy Gravdahl who finished his career with 197.
100-Hit Watch: Next up to enter the Cobber 100-Hit Club are Kjelstrom and Dorsey. Kjelstrom will enter Sunday's DH with 94 career hits and Dorsey has 91 base knocks.