Cobbers Can't Come Up With Clutch Hits, Drop 2 To Bethel

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/13/24)---Concordia was done in by the long ball in its doubleheader at home with Bethel. The Royals scored eight of their 11 runs in the twinbill via the home run and swept the Cobbers 5-0, 6-1.

The two losses end Concordia's 4-games win streak. CC is now 8-16 overall and 5-5 in MIAC play. Bethel moves to 13-10 overall and 6-4 in conference play.    

In addition to the difference in homers, hitting with men on base as well with runners in scoring position proved to be another key. Concordia went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position in the two games and hit .182 (4-for-22) with runners on base. Bethel hit .500 with runners in scoring position (3-for-6) and with runners on base (10-for-20).

Game 1: Concordia 0, Bethel 5
The opener whittled down to two pitchers and four Cobber at-bats. Bethel scored all five of its runs from the long ball. They connected on a 3-run shot in the second and a 2-run homer in the third. The Royals didn't have a hit or get a runner get past first base in the other five innings of Game 1.

The Cobbers had golden opportunities to score in the third and fifth frames. They loaded the bases with only one out in each inning and couldn't push a runner across the plate.

In the third, Justin Kloster led off with a walk and Drew Dorsey singled through the left side for the Cobbers' first hit of the game. The runners would move up to second and third on a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt from Caiden Kjelstrom. Thomas Horan followed with a walk to load the bases and it looked like the Cobbers would be able to cut into the 5-0 deficit. Unfortunately for CC, a fielder's choice ground ball to third base and a fly out to left field ended the rally.

The bottom and top of the order combined to load the bases in the fifth inning. Drew Dorsey got hit by a pitch with one out and then Kjelstrom singled to center field and Horan was beaned which loaded the bases. A hard hit line out to right field didn't allow time for Dorsey to tag up and the Bethel pitcher gout out of his second bases loaded jam with a ground ball to second base.

Kjelstrom had a 2-out double in the seventh to account for the Cobbers' third hit in the game. He went 2-for-3 in the opener.

Grant Anderson went the distance on the bump for Concordia. He was two pitches away from a stellar outing. He was able to shake off the homers in the second and third and didn't allow a hit for the next 3.0 innings. He finished the game with 6.0 innings pitches and gave up four hits and struck out two.

J Riley Ohm made the most of his Bucky Burgau Field debut as he pitched a perfect seventh inning.

Game 2: Concordia 1, Bethel 6
The Cobbers appeared to put Game 1 in the rearview mirror when they got on the board in the very first frame of the finale. The first run of the second game came courtesy of a 2-out rally. Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe laced a double to right center and scored on Ben Shumansky's single to center field.

That would be all the scoring in the game for CC. Bethel tied the game in the top of the second, added two more in the third and finished off the score line the way they started the day – with a 3-run homer in the seventh inning.

Concordia's best chances to score came in the third and eighth innings when they had runners on first and second but were unable to come up with the clutch hit.

Concordia had nine hits in Game 2. Henkemeyer-Howe and Horan combined for five of the nine base knocks. Henkemeyer-Howe was 3-for-4, while Horan went 2-for-4.

Carter Thielke got the start on the mound for the Cobbers. He went 6.0 innings and gave up just one earned run and six hits while striking out three. Kyle Cluff entered the game in the seventh, pitched 2.0 innings, allowed only one hit and didn't concede a hit. Wyatt Mohr finished off the game by pitching the ninth.

UP NEXT: Concordia will finish off its 6-game home stand when they host Carleton on Wednesday, Apr. 17.