Sparked by a pair of three-run home runs that led to a walk-off victory in Game 1, Concordia-St. Paul won a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball games against Southwest Minnesota State Friday in St. Paul.
"They've beaten us five out of six times this year. They've got our number,"?said Mustangs head coach Paul Blanchard. "They swing the bats well, it's a small park and the wind was blowing out and their right-handers took advantage."
The Golden Bears came away with a 10-7 victory in Game 1, and completed the sweep with a 15-11 win in the nightcap. With the victory, Concordia-St. Paul jumped to 8-4 in the NSIC, 16-8 overall. Meanwhile, the Mustangs fall to 4-4 in the NSIC, 14-9 overall.
Down 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning in Game 1, the Mustangs put together five runs to take a 7-4 lead. With one out and the bases loaded, Mark Hanson cut C-SP's lead to one on a sacrifice fly. SMSU tied the game on an error, and Brandon Alfson and Chris Eichten each hit RBI singles to take the lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Bears' Drew Turk tied the game with a three-run shot, his first of the season. Later in the inning, a three-run homer by Paul Giel gave C-SP the walk-off victory.
In Game 2, Nate Dickhausen opened the game for SMSU by pitching five-plus innings. Kyle Young put the Mustangs up 1-0 with a solo homer, but the Golden Bears would score four runs in the second and three runs in the third, taking a 7-2 advantage.
Down 10-2, SMSU cut the deficit down to four with a Mark Hanson RBI double, followed by a three-run homer from Eichten.
But C-SP took away any chance of a comeback with a five-run sixth inning, going up 15-6.
The Mustangs would drive home five more runs in the final three innings, but it was not enough to complete a comeback.
Eichten had two hits, two runs scored and four RBIs, tying a career high in the Game 2 loss. Brian Ness had three hits, and Ben Korger, Young and Jon Ellis had two hits apiece as SMSU finished with 16 Game 2 hits. But the Mustangs were hampered by their fielding, committing six errors.
Game 1
SMSU100 010 5-7 8 0
CSP000 202 6-10 13 4
SMSU-Nate Dickhausen, Derek Skovbroten (6), Chris Koep (7), Corby McGlauflin (7); CSP-Adam Kramer, Logan Bouts (7), Cody Wilcoxson (7), Patrick Rydeen (7). WP-Rydeen. LP-McGlauflin. HR: CSP-Logan Bouts, Drew Turk, Paul Giel. 2B: SMSU-Ben Korger. LOG: SMSU-10; CSP-6.
Game 2
SMSU011 004 212-11 16 6
CSP043 035 00X-15 20 1
SMSU-Aaron Johnson, Steven Wehr, (5), Colton Smit (7); CSP-Andy Fagely, Patrick Rydeen (8); Nichol Roessler (8). WP-Fagely. LP-Johnson. HR: SMSU-Kyle Young, Chris Eichten; CSP-Kris Long, Paul Giel. 2B: SMSU-Brian Ness, Jon Ellis, Mark Hanson; CSP-Bryan Lippincott 2, Logan Bouts, Troy DuBay.