MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A six-run sixth-inning staked the 18th-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball team to an 8-7 lead in its bid to claim at least one of the four games with host St. Thomas University (Fla.). However, the 17th-ranked Bobcats responded with a four runs in their half of the sixth and earned the series sweep. St. Thomas won game four, 12-8, with the help of nine walks issued by Concordia pitching in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Saturday (March 7).
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad slipped to 11-7 overall in the aftermath of a series dominated by a Bobcat squad that has the look of NAIA World Series team.
“I thought we got a little bit better as the weekend went on,” Dupic said. “Our guys did a nice job putting together a couple good offensive innings and getting us the lead back. Margins are small when you play really good teams. A couple walks or a mistake defensively here or there can hurt you. That’s a really good ballclub. What happened to us late when we lost the lead were a couple too many free things. We couldn’t quite hold them down. It’s not easy to lose – it was a big challenge. I’m hopeful we can use this as an opportunity to keep getting better.”
The Bulldogs fell behind by a 7-0 score at the end of four innings on Saturday. Finally, the bats kicked into gear in the fifth. Cade Vanis led off the frame with a walk, setting the stage for Jaeden Jordahl’s two-run blast to left. Then in the sixth, Concordia took advantage of two St. Thomas errors on the way to gaining the lead. The inning was highlighted by Andrew Fetty’s two-run single and Luke Wilson’s two-run double.
But the advantage was short-lived. Erick Ballenilla and Edwin Toribio produced run-scoring singles in the sixth as the Bobcats retook the lead. St. Thomas capitalized on the nine walks and two hit batters. Bulldog starting pitcher Devin Gonor lasted 2.1 innings before being relieved by Harrison Hoiekvam. Warren Rose wound up being tagged with the loss.
Concordia outhit STU, 11-9, in the series finale. Fetty and Wilson both went 3-for-4 with two RBIs on Saturday. The freshman outfielder Fetty (Mukilteo, Wash.) has been an on-base machine (.479 OBP), prompting Dupic to move him to the top of the order. Additionally, catcher Jake Watson went 2-for-5 with a double. The Bulldogs saw six different Bobcat pitchers over the nine-inning affair.
St. Thomas (15-7) tallied 46 runs in the four-game sweep. Concordia struggled to find any weaknesses in The Sun Conference opponent. Said Dupic, “That’s one of the better teams we’ve played during my time as a coach. They’re really good, especially at home. They got some momentum going and played really well. They’re very, very good.”
The Bulldogs will take Sunday off from game action while resting up for Monday’s doubleheader at the RussMatt Invitational. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CT (1:30 p.m. ET) with Mayville State University (N.D.). The two games will be played at Chain of Lakes Field 3 in Winter Haven, Fla. The RussMatt Invite offers live streams via its app. For more information, click HERE.