CC Starting To Find Their Rhythm In Sweep Over Pipers

ST. PAUL, Minn. (4/06/24)---Playing its third doubleheader in less than a week, Concordia started to find its rhythm and swept Hamline.

The Cobbers outlasted the Pipers in the first game to post a 3-2 win in 11 innings. CC used a 10-hit attack to score 11 runs and beat Hamline 11-3 in Game 2.

The two wins on the day give the Cobbers three victories in their last four outings. CC is now 6-14 overall and 3-3 in league games.     

Game 1: Concordia 3, Hamline 2 (11 innings)
Concordia used a 2-out run in extra innings and the pitching trio of Carter Thielke, Kyle Cluff and Wyatt Mohr to record the 1-run win in the opener. The Cobbers trailed 1-0 after three innings, rallied for single runs in the fifth and sixth frames before claiming the win in the fourth extra inning.

Trailing 1-0, the Cobbers tied the game in the fifth inning when David Dorsey doubled to bring home Justin Kloster after Kloster came through with a leadoff single.

The go-ahead run in the sixth came courtesy of a hit by pitch. The Cobbers loaded the bases when Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe singled and Dylan Gertken and Chance Bye earned walks. Jake Christianson got the second RBI of the game for CC when he was beaned by a pitch.

The Pipers tied the game with a run on two hits in the bottom of the sixth and then the two teams played scoreless ball until the 11th inning.

Christianson opened the 11th with a 1-out single to left-center field. After a pop-out to the shortstop, freshman Cam Nieto came through with his first college hit that advanced Christianson to second base. Christianson scored the game-winning run on the very next at-bat when Thomas Horan's ground ball was misplayed by the Hamline shortstop, allowing Christianson to come home.

Thielke led off the Cobber winning-pitcher relay. He started the game and went 6.0 innings. He allowed two runs on six hits and fanned six batters. Thielke handed the baton to Cluff, who pitched a scoreless seventh, eighth and ninth frames. He conceded two hits, struck out four and didn't allow a runner past second base. Cluff turned the game over to Mohr, who pitched out of a second-and-third jam with one out in the 10th and then faced the minimum number of batters in the 11th to record his first collegiate win.

Concordia was outhit 9-8 in the opener. Henkemeyer-Howe and Bye had the multiple-hit games for CC. Henkemeyer-Howe went 2-for-5 and scored a run, while Bye was 2-for-4 with a walk.

Game 2: Concordia 11, Hamline 3
Concordia carried the momentum over from the extra-inning win in the opener to the first inning of Game 2. The Cobbers plated five runs on three hits in the first frame of the finale. CC took advantage of three free passes and a hit by pitch to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Henkemeyer-Howe had a 2-run double and Dorsey drove in a single run with a 2-bagger to provide the big hits for the Cobbers. The other highlight in the inning was freshman Zack Ehnstrom collecting his first collegiate hit, which drove in Dorsey.

Hamline put up a 2-spot in the second inning before Concordia scored six consecutive runs to push the lead to 11-2 in the top of the seventh.

The other crooked number for CC in the game came in the fifth inning when they scored three runs on three hits. Ehnstrom posted his second collegiate RBI with a single to right center. He eventually came around to score the third run of the inning on a wild pitch.

Concordia held a 10-9 edge in hits in the finale. The freshman Dynamic Duo of Nieto and Ehnstrom both had 2-hit games and were a combined 5-for-7 in the doubleheader. Dorsey had the other multiple-hit game for the Cobbers as he went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.

The Cobbers used three pitchers for the second straight game, and for the second straight game, all three were effective. Brett Engelmeyer opened the game and went 3.0 innings. Like Mohr in the opener, he was able to record his first collegiate victory. Engelmeyer was able to pitch out of tight spots and gave up two runs and struck out a pair.

Dylan Erholtz pitched the third and fourth innings and didn't give up a run. He conceded only one hit and struck out two. Ethan Beyer closed out the afternoon with the final 2.0 innings. He didn't allow an earned run and gave up only one hit.

2 FOR 30
Henkemeyer-Howe went 3-for-8 on the day and now has 98 career hits. He needs only two more to become the 30th player in program history to reach the 100-hit milestone. Henkemeyer-Howe has now hit safely in four straight games.

MULTIPLE HIT LEADER
Dorsey's 2-hit game in the second contest was his sixth multiple-hit game of the year. That mark leads all Cobbers and is one shy of his total from all of last year.

UP NEXT
Concordia will host its 2024 home when the Cobbers face Macalester on Tuesday, Apr. 9 at 2:30 p.m.