minneapolis, minn. - senior right handed pitcher jake schmidt (oakdale, minn.) had complete control of the concordia university season opener, throwing a complete game two hit shutout while tying a career-high 13 strikeouts in a 4-0 victory over northern state at the metrodome. game 1 box - in game two, it was junior right handed pitcher blake devries (eden prairie, minn.) who stifled nsu, pitching six shutout innings in a 19-0 rout of the wolves. game 2 box
game one box score
six of schmidt's seven innings were retired in order and he retired the final 15 batters of the game. He started strong, striking out the first six batters before running into trouble in the third inning. In the bottom of the third, schmidt walked the leadoff hitter, nathan zacher. After allowing singles through the right and left side of the infield to mitch locke and james paul, schmidt struck out his seventh batter with the bases loaded. A pop out to right and a ground out retired the nsu threat.
at that point in the game, cu had already built a 1-0 lead, scoring in the top of the first. Schmidt did the damage at the plate as well, leading off the night with a ground rule double down the left field line, the ball bouncing off the dome's warning track and over the 343 sign. He advanced to third on senior brenden furrow's (johnston, iowa) base hit through the left side.
with two outs, furrow took off from first on a double-steal. And although furrow was caught in a run down, he allowed enough time for schmidt to trot home for a first inning run as the side was retired.
in the second, cu loaded the bases but northern state lefty brock pashen pitched out of the jam before settling into a mid-game groove.
pashen retired seven straight batters with perfect third and fourth innings as concordia held a tight 1-0 lead through the first four frames.
in the fifth, pashen unraveled as concordia started with a walk by sophomore jon stockton (oakdale, minn.). He moved up to third when junior chase brown (mankato, minn.) took an extra base with a double to center field giving cu runners on second and third. Pashen then pitched around schmidt, putting him on with four straight balls to load the bases.
after a sacrifice fly to center by senior chris herbert (white bear lake, minn.), brown would come in to score on a wild pitch, giving cu a 3-0 lead and a runner on third.
furrow followed with a triple to left field that was aided by dillon talley's failed attempt at a diving catch. Furrow drove in schmidt on the play putting a third run across in the fifth inning and giving schmidt a commanding four run lead heading to the closing innings.
schmidt cruised from there and need only 89 pitches to finish off the wolves.
concordia put runners in scoring position in the sixth and seventh innings but didn't score again.
schmidt scored twice and went 1-3 with a walk and a stolen base out of the leadoff spot to aid in his own bid for his first win of the year. Furrow and freshman logan bouts (hopkins, minn.) had two hit performances, furrow going 2-4 with an rbi triple with bouts slugging a double in his first collegiate at bat before finishing 2-3.
concordia stole three bases in the game in four attempts as herbert and sophomore justin oppegard (west st. Paul, minn.) each swiped bags as well.
pashen went five innings for the wolves, allowing five hits and three walks. He didn't strike anyone out while allowing all four runs. He threw 83 pitches (44 strikes) to 23 batters in his first start of the year. He was relieved by nick wallentiny who finished the game with two shutout innings allowing one hit with three strikeouts.
