Big Bats And Powerful Pitching Lead To Sweep

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.  (2/24/15)—Concordia crossed the plate 27 times and knocked out 29 hits in its season-opening sweep over Houghton (N.Y.). The Cobbers won 13-0 and 14-2 as they gave head coach Chris Coste wins in his first two games as a collegiate head coach.

Coste, who replaced legendary Hall of Fame coach Bucky Burgau in the summer, had to be happy with both the offense and pitching in the first doubleheader of the season. Concordia had a .408 batting average in the two games and recorded 12 extra base hits while the CC pitching staff gave up only two runs in 14 innings of work and allowed the Highlanders to hit just .231.

Tim Carlson and Cody Rahman had a pair of multiple-hit games in the sweep and were a part of an offense that saw 10 different players have at least one hit on the day and five different Cobbers with at least one hit in both games.

Carlson was 5-for-7 on the day with four RBI and five runs scored. He had a pair of doubles in the opener and a triple in the second game. Rahman was 4-for-8 in the two games and scored three runs and drove in one.

Nick Bornhauser had a three-hit game in the first contest and then went 1-for-3 in the second game. He was 4-for-7 overall with four runs scored and three RBI.

Aaron Green, Phil Kuball, Devin Johnson and Matt Ziebarth all had multiple-hit games in the nightcap. Green was 2-for-3 with two runs scored from the leadoff spot while Johnson drove in three runs and was 3-for-4 hitting in the No.3 position. Kuball went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and Ziebarth had a triple and was 2-for-3.

Concordia broke apart the season opener by recording crooked numbers in the second, third and fourth innings. The big frame came in the fourth when they scored seven times on four hits.

Ross Merriman earned the game 1 win by pitching 5.0 innings and allowing only four hits. He struck out a pair of batters and walked only one. Nate Wendorf pitched the final two innings of the game. He retired the first three batters he faced.

It was a trio of big innings that led to the win in the second game.  The Cobbers scored four times in the fourth, fourth in the fifth and three more in the six to push a 2-1 advantage into a 13-1 cushion.

Concordia used three pitchers in the finale. Kyle Connelly got the start and pitched the first five innings while Mitch Boser hurled a perfect sixth inning and then Cobber closer Bryce Feia struck out two and did not allow a hit in the ninth.

Concordia with their annual spring training trek in Florida on Tuesday, Feb. 25 when they play Augustana (Ill.) at the Chain of Lakes Park Field Stadium in Winter Haven, Fla. at 11 a.m.