Concordia University (7-5, 1-1 NSIC) opened their Northern Sun slate with a split against Upper Iowa University (3-13, 1-1 NSIC) on Wednesday morning at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn. Concordia won the first game 5-4 behind 11 strikeouts from junior Jake Schmidt (Oakdale, Minn.) before falling 2-1 in the second game behind a solid outing by sophomore Blake Devries (Eden Prairie, Minn.).

Game One:

Coming off the best performance of his career, Schmidt was in command of the Peacocks, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning before UIU's Kreston Albright hit a slow roller to shortstop Derek Mason (sr., Minnetonka, Minn.). Mason fielded the play cleanly but had to throw from the hole as Albright dove into first base to break up the no-hit bid.

Schmidt then pitched into a jam in the seventh, allowing four runs on three hits. He retired the last batter with the tying run in scoring position to improve to 3-0.

After the complete game, Schmidt has struck out 23 batters in the last 14 innings in the Metrodome. He allowed all four runs, three were earned, on four hits with two walks. He needed 101 pitches to complete the victory.

Concordia jumped on the scoreboard early with senior centerfielder Joe Abellera (Minnetonka, Minn.) delivering a leadoff double to left field. He scored when junior right fielder Brenden Furrow (Johnston, Iowa) extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an rbi single.

Meanwhile, Schmidt struck out five of the first six batters he faced in the first two innings.

In the third inning, senior second baseman Jake Waldman (Minnetonka, Minn.) led off with a towering home run to right centerfield. With one out, Furrow delivered a laser off the baggie in right center for a single, and came into score when junior third baseman Zane Froelich (Sioux Falls, S.D.) just missed a home run with an rbi triple off the fence in left centerfield.

Froelich scored on a soft line drive rbi single past first base by senior first baseman John Maciej (Elk River, Minn.) to cap the three run inning.

Concordia made it 5-0 in the fifth with an unearned run when mason reached first on an error and advanced to second on the throw to score furrow.

Furrow went 3-3 in the game, hitting his third double. He scored twice and knocked in a run. Waldman's home run was his second of the season, giving Concordia five players with two home runs. Abellera stole his second base of the year.

The loss was charged to Brian Solemsaas, falling to 1-3 after pitching a complete game (6 inn.), allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits while walking three and striking out seven.

Game Two:
The Golden Bears came literally a few feet away from a sweep on two occasions in the sixth and seventh innings of the second game. After taking a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning, Upper Iowa finally scored on starter Blake Devries (Eden Prairie, Minn.) in the sixth with a two run inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, junior right fielder Brenden Furrow (Johnston, Iowa) hit a towering fly ball down the left field line that was caught just in front of the 343 foot sign on the warning track. With a runner on, a home run would have given Concordia the go-ahead run.

In the seventh with two out and a runner on second, senior center fielder Joe Abellera smoked a line drive to centerfield. Appearing as if it would go over Upper Iowa centerfielder Kreston Albright's head, he turned just in front of the track to make the catch before stumbling on the warning track while trying to switch to a back pedal.

Concordia struck first, as junior left fielder Jake Schmidt (Oakdale, Minn.) delivered an rbi ground out to short in the fourth inning with first and third and one out. The play scored junior catcher Chris Herbert (White Bear Lake, Minn.).

But the Golden Bears were unable to hold the lead as the Peacocks finally got to Devries with a lazy leadoff infield single to third base to start the sixth, followed by a sharp single up the middle to give Upper Iowa first and second with no outs.

Furrow had one of Concordia's three hits to extend his hitting streak to 12 games to open the season.

After a wild pitch, the runners moved up to second and third and Devries walked Nick Fjelland to load the bases with no outs.

The fourth batter of the inning, Marcus Johnson, delivered a line drive single up the middle, driving in two to put the Peacocks in front for the first time all morning.

Devries pitched out of the jam in the sixth, but the damage was done as Concordia's scoring chances in the sixth and seventh fell just feet short.

Devries had his finest outing of the year, pitching six innings while allowing two runs on four hits, walking two and striking out four. He used just 86 pitches before giving way to junior left handed reliever Kirk Ingram (Woodbury, Minn.), who worked a 1-2-3 seventh with a strikeout.

Brian Putnam earned the win for Upper Iowa, pitching three scoreless innings out of the bullpen, he surrendered just one hit and one walk while striking out two.