Concordia celebrates senior day with a split against Nebraska Wesleyan

Concordia celebrates senior day with a split against Nebraska Wesleyan

Ten Bulldogs celebrated their final home games at Plum Creek Park on Saturday, April 28 with a split against Nebraska Wesleyan. Concordia took the first contest in extra innings, 6-5 (8), but dropped the finale, 5-2.

The split moved the Bulldogs to 24-25 on the season and 9-9 in Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) games.  Nebraska Wesleyan moved to 18-20 overall and 12-8 in GPAC action.

Game One: Concordia 6, Nebraska Wesleyan 5 (8)

Down 1-0 after the top of the first inning, Concordia displayed some strong offense fundamentals to pull even.  Senior Zak Goodrich (Lutz, Fla.) led the first off with a single through the left side.  Goodrich moved to second on a sacrifice then went to third on a ground out.  Senior Anthony Flores (Craig, Colo.) took advantage with an RBI single to left to knot the game at 1-1. 

The Bulldogs used a similar plan to take the lead in the third as Goodrich led off with a ground rule double to right center.  A bunt single from senior Martin Rodriguez (Tucson, Ariz.) sent Goodrich to third, then junior Kyle Ivanoff executed a safety squeeze to give Concordia a 2-1 lead.

The Prairie Wolves bounced back with two runs in the fourth, but the deficit was short lived as Concordia pulled even in the bottom of the frame on a single by freshman Andrew Yerrell (Santa Fe, Texas), a sacrifice and an RBI single by senior Tate Bedwell (Colorado Springs, Colo.).

Concordia continued to put runs on the board in the fifth and the sixth as senior Brandon Pflug (Ft. Morgan, Colo.) delivered a sacrifice fly in the fifth, then Goodrich punched an RBI single to center in the sixth.  

Unfortunately Nebraska Wesleyan would not role over, plating two runs in the seventh to tie the game.

Finally in the bottom of the eighth, the Concordia top of the lineup made certain the planned senior day festivities between games would be joyous.  With one out, Goodrich completed a 5-for-5 day with a single to left center.  A fielding error on a ball off the bat of Rodriguez put runners at the corners, then Ivanoff launched a ball off the center field wall to bring Goodrich home for the fourth time in the contest. 

Ironically, senior Paul Rowlett (Lodgepole, Neb.) earned his first victory as a Bulldog in relief.  Rowlett did not allow a hit in the eighth to move to 1-3 on the season.  

Nebraska Wesleyan's Mike Lovgren fell to 2-4, allowing one run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning.

Game Two: Nebraska Wesleyan 5, Concordia 2 

Concordia rode the wave of emotion from the senior day festivities to an early lead in the second game as the Bulldogs put two runs on the board in the second inning. 

Flores got the rally going with a single to left.  A sacrifice bunt by Pflug sent Flores to second.  The Bulldogs' Texas connection did the rest as Yerrell lifted an RBI single through the left side, then freshman Daniel Wilkerson (Santa Fe, Texas) smacked an RBI double to left.  

Concordia's 2-0 lead, however, was short lived as the Prairie Wolves posted four runs on two hits, two errors and two hit batters in the top of the third to seize control of the game. 

Nebraska Wesleyan starter Josh Ostrom limited the Bulldogs to just three hits the rest of the way to pick up his fifth win (5-4) of the season.  Ostrom allowed two runs on seven hits in the game. 

Concordia freshman Michael Hodges (Colorado Springs, Colo.) suffered the loss (3-3), allowing five runs (one earned) on five hits, one walk and two hit batters in four innings. 

Goodrich led the Bulldogs offense again, finishing the game 2-for-4.  Over the two contests he was 7-for-9 with four runs scored and an RBI. 

Concordia concludes regular season play on Sunday, April 29 in Hastings, Neb. with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.