Concordia drops two against Mid-America Nazarene
The Concordia University (Neb.) Baseball team suffered a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Mid-America Nazarene on Friday, Feb. 24, falling 3-2 and 7-6. The losses dropped the Bulldogs to 2-4 on the season, while the Pioneers moved to 5-2.
Trailing 2-0 entering the top of the sixth of the first game, the Bulldogs got back-to-back singles from senior Zak Goodrich (Lutz, Fla.) and freshman Andrew Yerrell (Santa Fe, Texas). Senior Anthony Flores (Craig, Colo.) followed with a double down the left field line to plate Goodrich, making it 2-1. One out later, Yerrell scampered home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior Brandon Pflug (Ft. Morgan, Colo.) knotting the game at two.
Unfortunately Concordia couldn't grab the lead and the Pioneers pushed across the game winning run in the bottom of the seventh on two singles and two walks. Junior Jordan Stirtz (Gretna, Neb.) suffered teh loss, allowing three runs on four hits and five walks in 6.1 innings. Stirtz (0-2) also notched three strikeouts. Pioneer reliever Justin Higgins (1-0) picked up the win, with two innings of scoreless relief.
Game two was another tough pill for the Bulldogs. Concordia raced out to a 6-2 lead by the top of the third inning thanks to six hits and two Mid-America errors. Goodrich delivered the biggest hit in the third inning, lining a two-run double down the right field line to push the lead to four runs.
The Pioneers, however, came back with two runs in the bottom of the third to make it 6-4 and scored three runs on five hits in the bottom of the sixth to claim the game.
Concordia sophomore reliever Heath Benker (Florence, Colo.) suffered the loss (0-1) alllowing the final run on three hits and a walk in one inning of work. Kanon Hoover (1-0) picked up the win for Mid-America Nazarene with 4.1 innings of scoreless relief.
The Bulldogs and Pioneers will complete their four game series on Saturday, Mar. 25 with another doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
24 February 2012
