st. Cloud, minn. - junior blake devries (eden prairie, minn.) hit a game-winning three run homer in the top of the ninth inning as concordia (12-22, 4-9 nsic) won the first game of today's doubleheader 5-3 at st. Cloud state (26-7, 13-3 nsic) at dick putz field. It was devries' second homer of the game, fifth of the weekend and seventh hr against scsu in just five games this season. Devries now leads concordia with 11 homers after the 2-4, four rbi performance. Redshirt-freshman right hander andy fagely (mahtomedi, minn.) was sharp on the mound with a 9-inning complete game, allowing three runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and only two walks. Freshman j.t. Schneider (oak creek, wis.) was 2-4 and 1-3 to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. game 1 box | game 2 box

the golden bears led 5-4 in the second game and appeared poised to take the series 3-to-1 at scsu before the huskies tied the game in the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer by jordan smith before joey benke delivered his second extra-inning walk-off two-run home run against concordia this season in the bottom of the eighth inning. Both of benke's walk-off 2-run hr's against cu this season were off of junior right hander nick anderson (plymouth, minn.). Anderson falls to 3-5 with the loss out of the bullpen, working three solid innings of relief.

of concordia and st. Cloud state's five completed games, they have all been decided by two or one run with the exception of scsu's six-run win in game one yesterday. In the five total games, scsu holds a slim 42-36 total run margin, an average score of 8.4 to 7.2. In the season series, which still could add another game or more depending on if/when the teams resume the suspended game, devries has 10 hits in 17 at bats (.588) and a 1.882 slugging pct. With seven homers, 15 rbi and nine runs scored.

game 1: cu 5, st. Cloud state 3
the golden bears only stranded four runners on base over nine innings, as devries drove in four of cu's five runs while sophomore logan bouts (hopkins, minn.) went 3-4 with an rbi single in the first inning.

devries' first homer of the game, a solo shot in the fourth, gave concordia a 2-1 lead. The huskies and golden bears, seemingly locked in a pitchers' duel, traded scoreless frames in the fifth, sixth and seventh.

scsu finally broke the scoreless trend in the eighth when smith hit a two run shot to put scsu ahead 3-2.

the home run was one of a.fagely's only blemishes in a well-pitched performance in which he set down the potent husky lineup 1-2-3 four times while facing the minimum one other time as he induced a 5-4-3 doubleplay in the fourth inning.

trailing by a run heading into the ninth, devries came up with two on and nobody out against the nsic's era-leader, starting pitcher shawn riesgraf, who was attempting to put concordia away with a complete game. But devries parked a three-run shot to center, and a single by freshman hogan jackson (oakdale, minn.) ended riesgraf's day as he left the game trailing by two runs.

riesgraf surrendered four earned runs (five total) in 8.0 innings as his era rose to a still very impressive 1.86. He struck out five but allowed 10 hits.

in the bottom of the ninth, a.fagely got the job done himself, forcing two ground outs before ending the game with a strikeout. He improved to 3-2 on the season with the victory.

game 2: st. Cloud state 7, cu 5 (8 innings)
in game two, concordia once again used the long ball to strike first when jackson lifted his second homer of the series to left center. Scsu answered with three doubles and three runs in the bottom of the inning to take the early lead.

but concordia scored in four consecutive innings, getting a run each in the second, third and fourth innings before a two-run fifth inning put them ahead 5-4. In the fourth, sophomore troy dubay (urbandale, iowa) hit a solo homer to center, the team's 10th home run of the four game series.

at that time, concordia had doubled up scsu in series home runs, 10-5. But concordia was done hitting the long ball and scsu would park two more, thus the difference in the fourth game of the series.

the golden bears grounded into costly double plays in the seventh and eighth innings to spoil attempts to reclaim the lead late.

junior right hander ryan rodeck (lino lakes, minn.) was effective in an extended stint out of the bullpen, tossing 2.2 innings of one run ball, surrendering two hits and a walk while striking out a pair. Anderson worked out of jams every inning he pitched, not allowing the run-scoring hit until benke took him deep in the eighth. He pitched 6.0 innings in two relief appearances this weekend, posting an 0-1 record with a save.

sophomore bryan lippincott (des moines, iowa) went 3-5 in the series finale and is still hitting .396 on the year. Jackson returned to his multi-hit stature, going 2-4 with his second homer of the year and is hitting .338. Devries was 1-3 with a walk and has now hit safely in six straight and has seen average rise to .294.

in the four game series, bouts had an offensive revival, going 6-14 with three walks for a .429 average and .529 obp. Junior jon stockton (oakdale, minn.) had a solid hitting weekend as well, hitting .438 in 16 at bats and has hit safely in seven straight while lippincott hit .350, going 7-20 while seeing his hit streak halted at nine games.

in the series, senior brenden furrow (johnston, iowa) tied the school's career rbi record with 150 and is closing in on the runs scored record as well.

concordia ends their six game road stand this wednesday, april 14 when they host northern state at 2:00 p.m. For an nsic doubleheader (9 inn/7inn) at barnes field.