Concordia University (9-2) saw their perfect 9-0 start come to a close on Thursday evening as they were swept by Minnesota State (4-3) 5-4 in game one before a rough 12-0 loss in game two at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.

Game one started off right for the Bears, who jumped on the board in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter Galen Wetzell was hit by a pitch to start the game and advanced to third when left fielder Chris Duda (left) drilled a double to the gap in right center. Wetzell came in to score when catcher Bobby Meier grounded out to shortstop, putting CU ahead 1-0.

The Mavericks responded with a leadoff bunt single in the bottom of the first followed by a two-run homerun that cleared the 343 sign in left field. MSU finished off the inning with one more run and added another in the second to grab a 4-1 lead.

But the Golden Bears fought back in the top of the third. Freshman center fielder Alex Kubal started things off with a double to left field and scored on Wetzell's rbi single through the left side. Wetzell, who advanced to second on the throw home, moved up to third when Duda smashed a deep foul fly out to right field and came in to score on first baseman Erik Quarberg's rbi ground out to short. The rally wasn't finished as Meier (left) peppered the baggy in right field for a triple. He came across the plate to score the tying run when third baseman Mason Reinhart reached on an error by the MSU third baseman.

Fom there, it was cruise control as each team's pitcher settled into a groove. Right handed pitcher Geoff Bray (left) allowed just two hits and a walk in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to keep Concordia alive.

But the CU bats were stifled into just one runner in scoring position for the rest of the game, a double by Meier in the fifth with two outs.

In the bottom of the seventh in a 4-4 tie, Bray cruised past the first two hitters, getting a grounder to Wetzell at second and striking out the second batter. But a ground rule double to left center with two outs gave MSU life and they scored on the next play on a ground ball through the hole between short and third to take game one.

Bray finished the game with 6.2 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits and two walks while striking out five to pick up his first loss of the year.

In game two, sophomore left handed pitcher Eric Utoft (left) started brilliantly, as he shut out the Mavericks for the first three innings, allowing just two hits and a walk.

The Bears didn't fare much better on the offensive side, and the Mavericks bats came to life in the fourth. After striking out the leadoff hitter, Utoft surrendered a walk and a single before getting the second out on a foul pop out to Quarberg. But a ground rule double to left center drove in the first MSU run that was followed up by a two run homerun to dead center field that sailed over the wall just to the right of the 408 sign. The damage was done as MSU put up a four run fourth inning to take the lead for good.

They added six more in the fifth and two more in the seventh while their pitching and defense shut down the Concordia offense, who entered play hitting above .360 as a team.

Utoft took the loss for Concordia, who was limited to just two hits as a team in the ballgame.

Concordia returns to action on March 25-26 when they travel to Fayette, Iowa to take on future NSIC member Upper Iowa for a pair of doubleheaders, their final tune-up before conference play begins on April 1-2 when they host Winona State for four games.