Bulldogs explode for 11 runs to claim 11-5 win in game one, drop second game 5-4 (8)

Bulldogs explode for 11 runs to claim 11-5 win in game one, drop second game 5-4 (8)

An 11-run explosion in game one lifted the Concordia University, Nebraska, baseball team to an 11-5 win over Morningside.  The Mustangs, however, salvaged a split with a 5-4 (8) win in game two on Sunday, April 22 in Sioux City, Iowa. 

Following Sunday's contests the Bulldogs are 23-24 on the season and 8-8 in Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) action.  Morningside moved to 33-17 overall and 11-5 in GPAC play. 

Game One:  Concordia 11, Morningside 5 

Trailing 4-0 as the fourth inning began, the Bulldogs used five hits and three Morningside errors to take a 5-4 lead.  Six of the first seven Concordia batters reached safely to open the fourth inning via five singles and a fielder's choice.  The only out during that stretch was a sacrifice bunt.  Nine Bulldogs went to the plate in the inning as Concordia batted around. 

The offensive explosion continued in the fifth as senior Zak Goodrich (Lutz, Fla.) punched a singled to left field for the second consecutive inning.  One out later, junior Kyle Ivanoff (Tucson, Ariz.) beat out an infield single to put runners at first and third.  As Ivanoff stole second, Morningside catcher, Brendan McCabe tried to catch Goodrich off third.  The throw, however, was high and went down the left field line, allowing Goodrich to saunter home.  Concordia went on to tack on two more runs in the inning on a sacrifice fly by junior Ray Finley (Tucson, Ariz.) and a steal of home by senior Anthony Flores (Craig, Colo.).   

Concordia carried an 8-5 lead into the final frame and added three more insurance runs to wrap up the contest. 

Senior Steven Ivanoff collected the win (7-3) for the Bulldogs, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk in five innings. 

The Mustangs' Storm Throne took the loss (5-4) as he was charged with eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits and one walk in 4.1 innings. 

Concordia finished the game with 12 hits, led by a 3-for-4 day by Goodrich.  Senior Brandon Pflug (Ft. Morgan, Colo.) was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. 

Game Two:  Morningside 5, Concordia 4 (8)

The second meeting of the two teams was remained scoreless until top of the fourth.  Concordia struck in its favorite frame of the fay on back-to-back singles by freshmen Andrew Yerrell (Santa Fe, Texas) and Sean McCartney (Greeley, Colo.).  Junior Miles Barrow (Yamhill, Ore.) brought Yerrell in on a well-placed safety squeeze bunt to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 edge. 

Concordia pushed its lead to 3-0 in the fifth as on a single by Ivanoff, an RBI triple from Pflug and the second sacrifice fly of the day by Finley.  

Unfortunately starting pitcher, freshman Kyle Godfrey (Firestone, Colo.) was touched for four runs (two earned) in the bottom of the fifth.   An error opened the floodgates for Morningside in the fifth as the Mustangs went on to claim the lead.  

Trailing 4-3 as the seventh began, Concordia found one more push.  Sophomore Joe Brandenburg (Waconia, Minn.) pinch hit to open the frame, reached on an error.  Brandenburg went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Ivanoff, then scurried home on a single to left by Flores.  Concordia held Morningside at bay in the seventh to send the game to extra innings, but the Mustangs scratched across an unearned run in the eighth thanks to a fielding error.

Junior Nick Thill (Littleton, Colo.) was a tough luck loser (3-2) for Concordia, allowing one run on three hits and a walk in 2.2 innings of relief.  

Morningside's Alex Groth nabbed the win to move to 5-2 on the year.  Groth allowed one run on two hits in two innings of work.

Yerrell led Concordia's offense with a 3-for-4 day at the plate.

Concordia returns to the diamond on Friday, April 27 as the Bulldogs travel to Hastings, Neb. for their final road doubleheader of the season against Hastings.  First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.