lakeland, fla. - the concordia university baseball team scored five runs on three hits and worked a decisive 5-1 victory over 25th-ranked nebraska-omaha at henley field. Concordia improved to 7-8 on the year while handing the mavericks their second loss (9-2). Concordia was retired in order in six of the nine innings while the mavericks stranded at least one runner in the first seven innings including 11 total for the game with five in scoring position. box score
redshirt freshman right hander andy fagely (mahtomedi, minn.) improved to 3-1 on the year, pitching six innings of one run ball for the golden bears. Junior right hander nick anderson (plymouth, minn.) worked the final three frames for the save.
fagely struck out three and scattered eight hits without issuing any walks while anderson allowed one hit and walked two with a strikeout. Anderson was making his third relief appearance on the spring trip, lowering his season era to 2.08 in 26 innings while fagely's era dropped to 3.52 in 23 innings.
the game started about 10 minutes late as the grounds crew scrambled to get the field ready in rainy conditions. After three scoreless innings to start play, the game featured a 20 minute rain delay.
the mavericks came out of the delay to take the game's first lead, getting a run in the bottom of the fourth.
concordia responded with a two run fifth inning in unconventional fashion. After a leadoff single by sophomore ben lemke (rosemount, minn.) and a walk by sophomore logan bouts (hopkins, minn.), the two advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior sam fagely (mahtomedi, minn.). With freshman j.t. Schneider (oak creek, wis.) up, the golden bears called for a suicide squeeze bunt. With the runners moving, the pitch was in the dirt with schneider obviously unable to draw contact. Lemke scored on the play as cu successfully executed a double steal of home and third. Schneider still bunted in his at bat, scoring bouts for a 2-1 lead.
lemke had two of concordia's three hits in the game, the other coming with one out in the seventh with no one on. Lemke scored in the inning when sophomore troy dubay (urbandale, iowa) delivered a bases loaded two run single into right field, turning the lineup over to the top of the order with first and third. Junior jon stockton (oakdale, minn.) walked to load the bases for sophomore bryan lippincott (johnston, iowa) who followed suit with a bases loaded walk to score schneider.
leading 5-1, fagely was removed for anderson who got into trouble in the seventh before retiring the final seven batters. Concordia is now 3-0 on the spring trip in anderson's three appearances with two saves.
in a game that lacked an extra base hit from both dugouts, it was the kind of situation where concordia has excelled this season - manufacturing runs and executing in the clutch. With nine one-run games this season, concordia has proven they can make big plays late in games.
concordia has two games left on the trip and are already assured coming back to minnesota with a .500 or better record with a current 4-2 mark. It doesn't get any easier tomorrow as they play #23 ashland university (ohio) at noon (ct). Au is 6-5 overall, having swept southwest minnesota state on monday before falling minnesota state mankato on tuesday with another loss yesterday to florida southern. Today, ashland's doubleheader against seton hill has not yet been reported as a final.
