Bulldogs split double-dip with Dordt
The Concordia University, Nebraska, baseball team split a Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) doubleheader with Dordt on Saturday, April 14. The Bulldogs dropped game one, 1-0, then regrouped for an 8-1 win in game two.
Following Saturday's action Concordia moved to 20-21 on the season and 5-5 in GPAC action. Dordt, meanwhile, is now 11-23 overall and 2-10 in conference play.
Game One: Dordt 1, Concordia 0
The Bulldogs' bats were held at bay by Dordt's Lucas Carls, managing just three hits in the 1-0 loss. Thanks to Carls' performance, Dordt grabbed all the offense they would need with a run on four hits in the top of the first.
Despite the limited hits, Concordia did have strong scoring opportunities. The Bulldogs loaded the bases in the fifth as senior Brandon Pflug (Ft. Morgan, Colo.) reached on an error to lead off the inning. Two outs later, senior Zak Goodrich (Lutz, Fla.) lifted a single to center to send Pflug to second. Junior Kyle Ivanoff (Tucson, Ariz.) drew a walk to load the bases. Unfortunately freshman Andrew Yerrell (Santa Fe, Texas) went down on strikes to end the threat.
Concordia also left two men on in the sixth, the Bulldogs left nine runners on base in the loss.
Junior Jordan Stirtz (Gretna, Neb.) took the loss (2-8) as he allowed one run on eight hits in 3.1 innings.
Carls collected the win (5-2), allowing three hits and three walks in a complete game seven-inning shutout.
Game Two: Concordia 8, Dordt 1
The Bulldogs took out their offensive frustration in game two, plating eight runs on 12 hits.
Concordia's offensive production began in the third as the Bulldogs put three runs on the board. Senior Anthony Flores (Craig, Colo.) and junior Nolan Schaefer (Lincoln, Neb.) started things with back-to-back singles. Freshman Daniel Wilkerson (Santa Fe, Texas) followed with a single to left to plate Flores. Pflug delivered an RBI ground out to boost the Concordia lead to 2-0, then Goodrich plated Wilkerson on a ball booted by the third baseman.
The Bulldogs tacked on insurance with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, then put the game out of reach with three more in the seventh.
Flores and Wilkerson each finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBI to lead the offense. Flores added two runs scores, while Wilkerson crossed the plate once.
Freshman Michael Hodges (Colorado Springs, Colo.) moved to 3-2 with the win, allowing one run on two hits and two walks in seven innings. Hodges recorded seven strikeouts, including two in the second and the sixth innings.
Dordt's Jake Slings took the loss, surrendering eight runs on 10 hits and three walks in 6.1 innings.
The Bulldogs return home on Sunday, April 16 as Concordia hosts Mount Marty for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
