ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Two very different games unfolded on Friday (April 16) as the 22nd-ranked Concordia University Baseball team and Northwestern completed their four-game series in Orange City, Iowa. A 13-run first-inning carried the Bulldogs to a comfortable 16-0 win in game 1. The Red Raiders then took the final contest of the series, 4-3, with a walk-off RBI single by Eli Rash in the 11th inning.
Though Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad fell short of the sweep, it did manage to win another four-game series (have taken at least three of four in all eight four-game series this season). Concordia (29-6, 16-4 GPAC) has edged closer to the 30-win mark.
“It’s definitely a positive to take away that we were much better out of the bullpen today,” Dupic said. “We want to try to carry some of that momentum into future games. It’s easy to look at the score (in game 2) and say we didn’t score enough, but we’ve scored a whole bunch of runs in game 4’s this season and saved our pitching and defense. It was a good ballgame – we just came up a little short.”
It was a party on the base paths in Friday’s afternoon clash. In the top of the first, the Bulldogs sent 18 batters to the plate while scoring 13 runs on 10 hits, four walks and two errors. The highlight of the frame was a grand slam delivered by Beau Dorman. Additional run scoring hits were turned in by Joey Grabanski, Teyt Johnson, Jose Cevallos, Ben Berg and Cevallos again. Grabanski and Berg also left the yard in game 1 as part of a 15-hit outburst.
Jake Fosgett and three relievers combined on the shutout. Fosgett (6-0) tossed four scoreless innings and notched six strikeouts. Jacob Lycan, AJ Cotton and Zach Pinkerton combined for to record the final nine outs.
A freshman from Grand Forks, N.D., Grabanski enjoyed a 4-for-6 day that included two home runs, four runs scored and three RBIs. Grabanski’s 11 homers on the season are the most ever for a Concordia freshman and have equaled Jesse Garcia, Jarrod Pimentel and Tony Sanchez for a school single-season record. Meanwhile, Berg has belted four home runs over the past seven games.
Said Dupic of Grabanski, “Doing this as a freshman is pretty special. He’s been really good. He knows how to hit and we knew that since he came in. He’s done a really nice job for sure.”
The Bulldogs had their chances to complete the sweep. They allowed a 3-0 lead to slip away. That advantage was built on a Grabanski homer and Dorman two-run double. On the opposing side, Brett Shelton was terrific out of the bullpen, throwing seven innings and earning the win. An error to begin the bottom of the 11th helped open the door for the Red Raiders (15-21, 8-12 GPAC). Concordia had not recorded an out when Rash singled home the game-winning run. Rash drove in three runs in game 2.
Dupic called upon six pitchers in game 2. On his way back from an injury, Alex Johnson started and worked around four walks in two shutout innings. Shane Whittaker ultimately took the loss though he did not surrender a single earned run in 3.2 innings. He also struck out eight Northwestern hitters. In addition, Ryan Samuelson got the Bulldogs out of a mess in the bottom of the fifth.
A four-game home stand is coming up April 25-26 when the Bulldogs will host Jamestown (25-12, 11-5 GPAC) and Morningside (17-22, 9-7 GPAC) for doubleheaders. Barring schedule changes, these will be the final home regular season games of the 2021 campaign for Concordia. Eight games remain in the regular season overall.