SEWARD, Neb. – The Concordia University Baseball team and the Northwestern Red Raiders got together on a chilly Friday (March 22) when the temperature failed to reach 40 degrees at Plum Creek Park. The two sides powered through the blustery conditions and completed a four-game stalemate. Northwestern won Friday’s first game, 11-7, before the Bulldogs rebounded behind a gem from pitcher Christian Gutierrez to claim a 4-1 victory. At the plate, Jay Adams collected five hits, moving his career total to a milestone number of 300.
Ideal conditions for Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad would mean warm with winds blowing out to left. It was the opposite on Friday as both teams battled the elements. The four-game split puts Concordia at 19-8 overall (3-3 GPAC).
“It was kind of a rough week across the board (from a weather standpoint),” Dupic said. "For all of the teams in our conference, it’s just tough. Baseball’s not meant to be played in this. You just do the best you can. I was grateful both Northwestern and us were able to fight through it to get the games in. I thought our guys fought pretty well, especially in coming back and getting that last one in really tough conditions.”
After the Bulldogs surrendered 11 runs in game three of the series, they got exactly what they needed from the La Mirada, Calif., native Gutierrez. He allowed just a single run in the fourth inning while keeping the Red Raiders off balance. Gutierrez fired a seven-inning complete game while on two days of rest. The crafty righty scattered six Northwestern hits, did not issue a free pass and fanned four batters.
The Bulldogs scratched and clawed to put together their four runs in the series finale. Concordia pushed across two runs in the second on the base paths and got its final run of the day when Ty Nekoliczak plated Zack day with a fielder’s choice. Back in the leadoff spot, Adams went 2-for-4 with a run in the victory. His second hit of the ballgame marked No. 300 in his terrific career.
Game three of the series resulted in a loss despite the Bulldogs owning a 7-3 lead after three innings. The fourth was a nightmare frame as the Red Raiders put up seven runs on six hits. In relief, Ernie Snyder helped calm things down by firing the final 3.2 innings (five strikeouts). It was a four-hit game for Northwestern left fielder Bryce Click.
Every fly ball to left was knocked down by the wind, but Joey Grabanski managed to notch his 69th career home run by drilling a three-run shot to right center in the first inning of Friday's opening contest. Tanner Tompkins, Alec Blakestad and Adams also delivered RBI hits as Concordia built an early advantage. Adams went 3-for-5 with two runs, a double and an RBI in the defeat.
The Waverly, Neb., native Adams is the program’s first player to ever reach 300 career hits. Said Dupic, “Jay’s been such an incredible player – 300 hits is really special. I’m really proud of him. As good of a baseball player as he is, I just enjoy him. He’s a great kid and he’s fun to be around. You can joke around with him and have a good time. He loves to compete. He’s a winner.”
Northwestern (14-13, 5-3 GPAC) has had a way of making life difficult for the Bulldogs. Concordia also split a four-game series last season with the Red Raiders. Northwestern managed to also split Thursday’s doubleheader as the Bulldogs left a combined 23 runners on base. Micah De Haan earned a pitching victory on Friday by throwing 3.1 scoreless innings out of the Red Raider bullpen.
The Bulldogs are slated to be back at home on Wednesday to host eighth-ranked Doane (18-4, 4-0 GPAC) in a makeup doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT from Plum Creek Park. The two sides met in last year’s GPAC tournament championship game that went in favor of the Tigers, 1-0. So far in league play, Doane has swept twin bills from Mount Marty and Hastings.