 | 6 |
 | 4 |
The Concordia University baseball team gave the No. 13 Bellevue University Bruins all they wanted in a mid-week matchup before falling 6-4 at Plum Creek Park in Seward, Neb., Tuesday evening.
Bellevue got on the scoreboard first in the top of the third inning. The Bruins loaded the bases off of singles by Matty Johnson and Jake Jadlowski and a hit batter, Matt Goodro. A sacrifice fly to center field brought Johnson home. A bases-clearing triple by Louie Templeton then brought in Jadlowski and Goodro. Templeton later scored on a single by Brett Chamberlin. Concordia’s starting pitcher, Jacob Yurich, would then end the inning by getting the Bruins to pop out twice.
Concordia answered with a run when Morgan Blatnik, on base due to a fielder's choice call, was walked home. Blatnik had moved to third because of a single by Nate Schmoll. Schmoll stole second as the throw by Bellevue’s Chamberlin sailed into centerfield, but would not reach home. Bellevue added runs in the fifth and ninth innings on doubles by Drew Farley.
The Bulldogs had their chances to tie the game. In the seventh inning, Nate Comes and Zach Goodrich drew walks and were driven in by Rodriguez and Nate Schmoll. Concordia, however, would leave Rodriguez stranded Rodriguez. Jack Holmberg then started the bottom of the eighth inning with a triple to right center and scored when Kevin Poppe grounded out to the shortstop. Joe Bercerra reignited the Bulldog offense with a single, but Concordia failed to bring him in. The Bulldogs would put the tying runs on base in the bottom of the ninth and brought the winning run to the plate, but Bellevue’s ninth pitcher of the afternoon, Chris Williamson, forced Holmberg into a lazy fly ball to center field to end the threat.
Yurich went the distance for the Bulldogs on the hill, giving up six runs (all earned) on 12 hits while walking three and hitting four Bruins. Bellevue’s Kyle Wink picked up the victory for the Bruins. With the loss Concordia drops to 4-14 overall with the GPAC regular season starting this weekend as Concordia hosts the University of Sioux Falls for a Saturday double header, and Mount Marty College for a Sunday double header.