Cobbers Split With Carleton On Senior Celebration Day

MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/25/26)---It was another down and up day for the Cobbers at Bucky Burgau Field on the annual Senior Celebration Day.

For the third straight home doubleheader, Concordia dropped the first game and then responded with a win in Game 2. CC gave up 10 unanswered runs in the opener and lost 10-1 to Carleton but then scored a conference-high 11 runs and took the nightcap 11-7.

The split gives Concordia a 12-18 mark in all games and a 6-10 record in MIAC play. The Knights are a similar 6-10 against league opponents and have an overall mark of 9-21.

The offensive highlights in the win were produced by Matt Contreras, Mason Henry and Tanner Nowacki. The three Cobbers were a combined 7-for-12 with seven RBI and six runs scored. Contreras also honored the seniors by connecting on his first collegiate home run.

The only offensive highlights in Game 1 came in the first frame when CC got off to a 1-0 lead when Alex Anderson got on board on an error with one out and scored on a Bryce Binek single to center field. CC looked poised to add more runs but a double play ball with runners on first and third ended the rally.

The game turned in the top of the second when Carleton scored three runs and stayed that way until the top of the seventh. The Knights were able t put up a 7-spot in the inning to bring the final total to 10-1.

Concordia had four hits in the first game. Henry, Luke Knudsen, Binek and Nowacki all had single hits in the contest.

Brayden Wolfgram started the game on the hill for CC and went 6.0 innings. He struck out a pair. James Fry entered in the seventh and finished off the game.

The Cobbers actually trailed 5-0 in Game 2 after Carleton used the momentum from the 7-run seventh in the opener to score three times in the first and added two more in the second.  

Concordia answered the five runs in the first two frames by Carleton by scoring nine straight runs from the second to the sixth. The big inning came in the sixth when CC sent nine batters to the plate and scored six runs on three hits. The biggest base knock of the frame came from Nowacki who came through with a double to the left-center field gap with
the bases loaded that plated all three base runners.

Contreras followed that with a 2-run shot over the right field fence.

The teams traded 2-run innings in the seventh to finish off the scoring. Wolfgram and Contreras had run-scoring 2-baggers to account for the CC runs.

In addition to the stellar game at the plate from Contreras, Henry and Nowacki, Wolfgram was 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.

Grant Paffrath pitched the first 7.0 innings, posted 115 pitches and battled his way to his first win of the season.

Concordia will turn around and play at UM-Morris on Sunday, Apr. 26. The Cobbers defeated the Cougars 9-8 on Thursday in the first of their three games this year.