Photo by Jake McNeill: Southwest Minnesota State University pitcher Cody Wichmann throws from the mound during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference baseball game against Augustana, April 23 in Marshall. The Mustangs took on Concordia-St. Paul at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday, dropping both games of the doubleheader.

MINNEAPOLIS — The Southwest Minnesota State University baseball team wasn’t able to carry the magic of its eight-game Arizona winning streak into its return to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Friday. The Mustangs returned to conference play with a doubleheader against Concordia-St. Paul, but dropped both games by scores of 3-2 and 5-3.

The Mustangs’ three-game series against the Golden Bears was originally slated to be played at Legion Field in Marshall on Saturday and Sunday, but it was relocated to US Bank Stadium due to anticipated poor weather conditions.

Levi Lampert’s streak of 64 consecutive games safely reaching base came to an end in the first game of the doubleheader. The sophomore left fielder had reached base safely at least once in every game of his collegiate career up to that point.

SMSU got off to a strong start in the first game behind some early offense and Cody Wichmann’s strong pitching, but Concordia rallied late to steal the win.

Jared Cortez’s three-run home run gave the Mustangs all of their scoring in the second game as they failed to capitalize on a strong relief appearance from Tad Tjaden.

SMSU drops to 12-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play after the loss. The Mustangs look to bounce back when they wrap up the CSP series with another game at 8 a.m. at US Bank Stadium.

GAME 1

Wichmann pitched the first 5 1/3 innings of the day’s first game, limiting the Golden Bears to two earned runs on six hits and a walk. He also struck out a pair of batters. In relief, Austin Dent gave up one earned run on two hits over 1 2/3 frames, getting charged with the loss to fall to 2-2 on the season.

Concordia-St. Paul took its first lead of the game in the top of the seventh when Eli Nelson singled and scored on a Charlie Harms single. In the bottom of the frame, Justin Benjamin retired the Mustangs in order, capping off a pair of perfect innings with three strikeouts to earn the win.

SMSU and Concordia were deadlocked in a scoreless tie until the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back singles from Connor Davis and Tanner Rezny set the stage for Cortez’s go-ahead RBI double, and Nathan Wheeler scored Rezny on a sacrifice fly before a ground out ended the inning.

Davis and Rezny each reached base twice for the Mustangs with a hit and a walk. Harms led Concordia with a pair of singles and a walk while Kaden Johnson added another pair of singles.

Sam Kennedy gave up two earned runs on three hits with five strikeouts over 3 2/3 innings in his start for the Golden Bears, and Liam Bystol pitched 1 1/3 scoreless frames with no hits and three walks allowed.

The Golden Bears tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Johnson and Harms singles put the tying run on base. Eric Berg singled in Johnson to break up the shutout and Gus Berger doubled home Harms to tie the game. Wichmann hit another batter before being relieved by Dent, who got a strikeout and a fly out to escape the bases-loaded jam.

GAME 2

Trailing 1-0, the Mustangs rallied in the third. Caden King and Davis walked and singled to put two runners on with two outs when Cortez stepped up to the plate. He took advantage of the opportunity and sent his second home run of the season sailing out to left field for a 3-1 Mustang lead.

The Mustangs’ lead didn’t last long, however. Will Husemann hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to tie the game, and Nick Carlson walked before scoring on a Harms double to give the Golden Bears the lead.

Concordia added one last insurance run in the ninth when Max Kaplan tripled in Berger. The insurance proved unnecessary, as Cole Newell retired the Mustangs in order to secure the save. Newell struck out five of the 10 batters he faced, limiting the Mustangs to one hit over three innings on the hill.

Jameson Quinn fell to 2-2 on the season after giving up four earned runs on five hits and six walks in his five-inning start. In four innings of relief, Tjaden struck out five batters while giving up one earned run on five hits and a walk.

Cortez finished the game with two hits for three RBIs. No other Mustangs reached base multiple times, with Davis, Rezny and Wheeler accounting for the Mustangs’ lone other hits.

Ollie Yuhas improved to 2-2 on the year for Concordia, going six innings while giving up three earned runs on four hits and a pair of walks.

Johnson, Harms and Berger each had a pair of hits for the Golden Bears, with Harms and Berger each logging a double and a walk.