minnetonka, minn. - on what everyone hopes will be the coldest game played of the baseball season, the concordia university (18-6) offense was scorching as they hit .442 scoring 24 runs on 23 hits in a two game non-conference sweep over minnesota duluth (8-12) leading to 12-7 and 12-1 victories for the golden bears at veterans field at minnetonka high school. The games were played in sub-30 degree temperature with winds consistently in the teens gusting into the 20's with snow falling for much of the afternoon. Concordia scored in all but three innings of their 12 times up to bat and put up 11 and 12 hits in the two games, respectively. game 1 box - game 2 box
the offensive onslaught was much needed as it helped snap a three game losing streak for the golden bears in which they mustered just a run of offense in each of three losses last weekend. Their sweep also extends umd's losing streak to eight games and the bulldogs are facing nsic preseason favorite and current leader wayne state in wayne, neb. This weekend. Cu is off this weekend and plays four non-conference games next week against uw-superior at the metrodome on mar. 30 and two in duluth against umd next wednesday, april 1.
game 1: cu 12, umd 7
senior brenden furrow (johnston, iowa) went 3-3 with four rbi while leadoff hitter jake schmidt (sr., oakdale, minn.) was 1-3 and scored three times as the golden bears pulled off a comeback victory in a long, cold game that featured almost 300 pitches and lasted over two and a half hours.
concordia drew first blood in the first inning as seniors chris herbert (white bear lake, minn.) and furrow each delivered rbi singles. The first four batters of the game produced hits with schmidt hitting a leadoff double followed by three straight singles.
the lead didn't last, however as the bulldogs got to schmidt, cu's game one starter, in the second with a five run inning highlighted by a three run triple by will dahlgren.
in the third, schmidt fielded a 1-6-3 double play to get out of the leadoff single he surrendered to brian burman. In the bottom of the inning, schmidt picked himself up when he scored on a furrow single.
umd picked up a sixth run in the fourth inning and were able to plate five earned runs (six total) off schmidt in four innings, all but ending his afternoon trailing 6-3, laboring though 95 pitches in his seventh start.
while schmidt trailed 6-3, the golden bears came alive in the bottom of the inning, scoring five times to give cu the lead, taking schmidt off the hook for a second loss and putting him in position to improve to 5-1. The five runs started with four straight one-out walks and umd starter bryan denisen was forced to leave with an apparent injury after just 3.1 innings of work in which he faced 16 batters and hurled in the mid-70's for pitches.
his reliever, ben jungers, was ineffective and unable to find the strike zone, walking in the first cu run of the inning before being removed. Kyle dahl came on with the bases loaded, surrendered a sacrifice fly to sophomore jon stockton (oakdale, minn.) and hit herbert. Furrow followed with a two run single to give concordia an 8-6 lead.
as expected, his day on the hill ended as lunch mckenzie turned to senior left hander kirk ingram (woodbury, minn.) to preserve the lead.
ingram worked the final three innings and was a nice change of pace from the powerful throwing schmidt. Ingram kept umd off balance as he scattered two hits and two walks allowing one run while striking out four. The save is his third of the season while schmidt improves to 5-1.
game 2: cu 12, umd 1
concordia put up three runs in each of the first three innings and added three more in the fifth as sophomore right hander nick anderson (plymouth, minn.) showed excellent command and worked to dispatch of the bulldogs quickly as he coasted to a complete game win to improve to 2-0 on the season.
anderson needed 106 pitches, scattering four hits and two walks while striking out four. He allowed only one unearned run as he earned run average improves to 2.93. Anderson made his seventh appearance and second start of the year.
the offense was led by herbert who went 2-3, scoring three times and driving in five thanks to a three run home run to left field that may still be in flight. Furrow continued his rbi binge, going 1-2 plating three more cu runs. Schmidt and stockton each scored four times out of the top two spots in a revamped lineup. Stockton started the first 22 games of the season in the eight spot in the order before being bumped up to second today.
freshmen bryan lippincott (des moines, iowa) and logan bouts (hopkins, minn.) each went 2-4 with an rbi as well.
the lineup changes impacted more than just the batting order as furrow earned a start at first in the second game after playing the final inning of the first game at first. Furrow proved to be a solid first base option going forward as he scooped up just about every throw in the dirt in his vicinity as cu was error-free in game two after posting two in the first game. Furrow had nine second game put outs as anderson continued to force groundouts.
senior zach strouts (st. Louis park, minn.) continued to earn starts at second base with six straight starts for cu at the position. Strouts has reached base safely with a hit or a walk in three consecutive games and went 1-3 with a walk and a run in the second game.
doubleheader stats/notes:
brenden furrow went 4-5 with seven rbi
jake schmidt was 4-6 with three doubles and seven runs
chris herbert went 3-5, scored five runs and drove in six for a team-high 38, beating his 2008 season total of 32. Herbert hit his sixth homer and 11th double of the year.
jon stockton went 2-4 with five runs and four walks in the twin bill and has already walked 25 times, tied for sixth most in a full single season
bryan lippincott was 4-8 going 2-4 in each game
concordia drew 15 walks in the two games while slugging eight doubles
