Bulldogs season ends after 8-3 loss to Morningside at GPAC Tournament
The 2012 season came to a close for the Concordia University, Nebraska, baseball team on Thursday, May 3 as the Bulldogs were eliminated from the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Tournament following an 8-3 loss to second seeded, Morningside College.
Concordia finished the season with a 25-28 record, while Morningside moved to 36-20 on the season.
The Bulldogs went 0-2 in the GPAC Tournament, falling to Nebraska Wesleyan 3-1 in the opening round.
Morningside advances to face the tournament top seed, Doane, in an elimination game at Sherman Field on Friday, May 4 at 12:30 p.m.
The Bulldogs got this game off to the start they wanted as Concordia strung together four consecutive two-out singles to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior Kyle Ivanoff (Tucson, Ariz.) got things started with a single to right. Senior Anthony Flores (Craig, Colo.) sent Ivanoff to second on a single to center. Moments later, senior Brandon Pflug (Ft. Morgan, Colo.) punched an RBI single to center, then junior Ray Finley (Tucson, Ariz.) delivered the fourth straight single, an RBI knock to center to push Concordia's lead to 2-0.
After Morningside inched closer with an unearned run in the top of the third, Concordia responded with a similar script to get the run back. Ivanoff laced a one-out single to right-center, stole second and scored on an RBI single to center by Pflug.
The Bulldogs held their 3-1 lead into the top of the sixth, when Morningside exploded for five runs on five hits and an error. The Mustangs statement took the wind out of Concordia as the Bulldogs went down in order in the sixth and the seventh. Morningside, meanwhile, added two insurance runs in the seventh to extend their lead to 8-3.
Concordia junior Jordan Stirtz (Gretna, Neb.) suffered the loss (2-9) as he allowed four runs (two earned) on six hits, one walk and one hit batter in five innings.
Morningside's Britt Adams came on in relief to pick up his sixth win (6-3) of the season. Adams held Concordia to just two hits in the final four innings.
