Pitching Duo Steps Up In MIAC Opener

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (4/07/18)---Unseasonably cold weather and a 16-day break in between games led to cold bats for the Cobbers as they dropped a pair of nail biters against Macalester in a doubleheader played in the Augsburg Dome.

Concordia could only come up with one hit in the opener and lost 1-0 and then fell 2-0 in the second game after collecting five hits.

The twinbill was the first MIAC competition of the year for the Cobbers as they fall to 4-12 in all games. Macalester moves to 8-12 on the season.  

The good news for the Cobbers is that the three runs allowed in the two games is the fewest in a conference doubleheader since the 2009 season when CC held St. Benedict to only two runs in a DH on Apr. 25 in St. Joseph.

The Cobber pitching duo of Abby Haraldson and Megan Gavin has turned into a formidable challenge for opponents. The tandem is averaging almost a strike out per inning and has allowed two or fewer earned runs in four of the last six games. Haraldson has an earned run average of 3.13 on the year which is just off the pace of Gavin who leads the squad with a mark of 3.10.

Haraldson got the ball in Game 1and responded by striking out 10 hitters, only allowing two hits and didn't concede an earned run. She set down the first nine batters she faced and didn't allow a runner past second base until the decisive sixth inning when the Scots scored the winning run on a two-out double after the go-ahead run got on base via an error.

The Cobbers' lone hit of the opener came off the bat of catcher Maycen Kirchner who singled to left field with one out in the sixth frame.

The second game was more of the same although the CC bats started to warm up and put up five hits – three of which were doubles. The Cobbers' best chance to score came in the fourth and seventh innings. CC had the bases with two outs in the fourth but couldn't come up with the clutch hit. Concordia then had runners on second and third with only one out in the seventh but a foul out and ground out ended the game.

Gavin went the distance in the circle in the finale. She struck out three, allowed five hits and both runs were earned.

Kayla Nack led the offense as she went 2-for-4 and had two doubles. Sydney Roberts went 1-for-3 and had the other two-bagger.

WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will take advantage of being able to play inside when they square off against Bethel on Sunday, Apr. 8 at 8 a.m. in the Dundas Dome in Northfield.