TUCSON, Ariz. – The school record for most runs scored in a single game had stood for 14 years until the Concordia University baseball team put 31 on the board on Monday. The Bulldogs piled up 18 hits and took 18 walks in a 31-8 pummeling of the University of Winnipeg in action that took place at the Tucson Invitational.
Third-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad is off to a rousing start in the desert. Concordia is now 4-1 on the road trip and has improved to 5-4 overall.
With Dupic tending to a medical situation back home, assistant Bryce Berg stood in as the point person on Monday. It was obvious on Sunday that the team rallied behind Dupic, who was able to be present for the first four games of the Tucson trip.
“The Jamestown games there was more a sign of wanting to win for him,” Berg said. “With it being his sending off game (before flying back to Nebraska), the guys wanted to send him off on a good note. I think we’re just starting to piece it together as a baseball team. Offensively the guys have been really good and are starting to hone in on their approach.”
When Wesmen pitchers did throw strikes, Bulldog hitters pounced. Johnny May, Christian Montero and Jake Taylor all homered in the victory. In addition, Wade Council cleaned up with a 4-for-7 day that included a double, triple and five RBIs. Jason Galeano went 3-for-4 with two walks and an RBI, Christian Meza went 4-for-7 with a double and three RBIs, May was 2-for-3 with a double, a homer and three RBIs and Taylor was 2-for-3 with a double, homer, three walks and five RBIs.
Concordia is now averaging 11 runs per game halfway through its 10-game Tucson road trip.
“We talked a little bit before the game about focusing in. We knew that team had walked a lot of guys,” Berg said. “The way there pitchers would have beaten us is if we tried to do too much early in counts and expand the strike zone. We did that a little bit, but as the game went on we did better at getting our pitch and barreling it up. We had baserunners everywhere the entire game.”
Freshman Logan Horton of Fullerton, Calif., started and threw the first two innings. The Bulldogs trotted out seven different pitchers during the course of nine innings. May made his first career start behind the plate and caught all nine frames.
The previous school record for most runs scored in a single game was 27 by the 2003 team that defeated Nebraska Wesleyan, 27-4, on March 25, 2003. Last season’s Bulldog squad owns the program standard for most runs scored in a single year (395).
Concordia has Tuesday (March 7) off before returning to action on Wednesday when it will play NCAA Division II Malone University (Ohio). First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m. MT / 2:30 p.m. CT.