Concordia scored the go-ahead run on a groundout with one out in the top of ninth inning to defeat Northwestern 5-4 (9 innings) in game two of a GPAC baseball doubleheader played tonight in Orange City. The Red Raiders lost game 14-3 and drop one game below .500 in the GPAC (10-11), 16-21 overall.
A.J. Nitzschke (0-1) gave up a leadoff walk to Wade Council in the ninth and was replaced by
Sutton Derr, who gave up a single to Christian Meza. Both runners moved up on a bunt put down by Evan Bohlman and following an intentional pass to Jesse Garcia to load the bases, Council scored the winning run on a groundout to second by Luciano DePamphillis.
Nitzschke pitched well in relief despite the loss, striking out five in two-plus innings.
Luke Hughes picked up the no-decision, giving up three hits and four runs in 5.1 innings.
The teams combined for 11 hits in a game dominated by pitching. Derr and
Drew Schutt led Northwestern, going 2-for-4, while
Josh Fakkema had a key two-run single that tied the game at four in the bottom of the sixth.
Dylan DuRee (1-2) earned the win with three scoreless innings of relief. He yielded three hits and struck out four. Lukas Diehm started the game and struck out 11 in 5.1 innings.
Council, Meza, Bohman, Garcia and Teyt Johnson all had one hit for Concordia; Garcia added two RBIs on a two-run single in the sixth.
Northwestern went ahead 1-0 in the fourth when
Ben De Boer led off with a walk, went to second after a single by Derr and scored after a wild pitch. Held scoreless for five innings by Hughes, Concordia finally broke through with four runs off Hughes in the sixth.
De Boer, Schutt and
Mason O'Donnell all had two hits in the Red Raiders 14-3 game one loss. Schutt belted his team-leading eighth home run, a solo shot, to lead off the sixth inning. O'Donnell scored two runs in the loss.
Tied at one, Concordia plated four runs in the fourth and put the game away with nine runs in the sixth. The Bulldogs totaled 11 hits, all singles, led by Council (3/3, 3 RBI) and DePamphillis (2/4, 3 RBI).
Alec Rickabaugh (3-4) took the loss, giving up seven hits and five runs in 3.1 innings. Sasha Jabusch improved to 5-2, earning the win and striking out eight in six innings.
