ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia University outfielders Drew Turk (Plainfield, Ill.) and Paul Giel III (Minnetonka, Minn.) each hit 3-run home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to propel the Golden Bears (16-8, 8-4 NSIC) to a 10-7 comeback victory in the first game of a doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State (14-9, 4-4 NSIC) on Friday afternoon. Giel added another 3-run homer in a 15-11 game two victory to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Mustangs. Giel went 5-for-9 with two homers and eight RBI in the two games. BOX SCORES: Game 1 | Game 2

Concordia improves to 5-1 against SMSU on the season and 16-11 in the all-time series. Five of the six games in the season series have been decided by 4-runs or less.

Game 1: CU 10, SMSU 7
The Golden Bears scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead, thanks in part to a leadoff home run by senior Logan Bouts (Hopkins, Minn.). But with Bouts on the mound to close the game out in the seventh, the Mustangs rallied for a 5-run inning to reclaim the lead and the game's momentum.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Bears rallied. Junior Greg Larpenter (Urbandale, Iowa) led off with a single and senior Bryan Lippincott (Des Moines, Iowa) followed with a walk. The clean-up spot in the lineup, vacated by Bouts who departed the game in the top of the inning, was now in the hands of sophomore Drew Turk.

Turk lifted a 3-run, game-tying homer to left field - the first of his career and first home run in his lifetime.

The inning wasn't over. Senior Doug Stearns (Minnetonka, Minn.) followed with a single, but the next two hitters were retired to halt the momentum. With left handed pitcher Patrick Rydeen (Stillwater, Minn.) now due up after the double-switch from the top of the inning, Concordia turned to the bench.

Sophomore David Hines (Crystal Lake, Ill.) came on to pinch hit. Hines was 0-for-9 on the season without reaching base. With a 1-1 count, Hines was hit by pitch to put the game-winning run in scoring position for Giel who planted the first pitch he saw over Wiesner's Wall in left field.

Rydeen picked up the win, improving to 2-1 on the year, in the dramatic comeback. He needed just three pitches to retire the only batter he faced.

Sophomore right hander Adam Kramer (Wausau, Wis.) started and went 6.0 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) with seven strikeouts to just four hits allowed in the no decision.

Giel went 2-for-4 with four RBI in the first game. Stearns was 3-for-4 at the plate and scored a pair of runs. Lippincott went 1-for-2 with a pair of walks.

Game 2: CU 15, SMSU 11
In game two, Giel once again sparked the Golden Bears by smashing a 3-run homer in a 4-run second inning to take an early 4-1 lead, countering SMSU's leadoff homer in the top of the inning.

The Mustangs added another run in the top of the third inning before senior Kris Long (Rochester, Minn.) belted his first homer of the year, a 2-run shot in the midst of a 3-run inning for CU.

Long wasn't done with his work at the plate, as he carried over the momentum to the outfield, making a full-out diving catch in the left centerfield gap near the warning track. Giel added a diving catch of his own later in the game in right field as the defense started taking away SMSU runs.

In the bottom of the fifth, Concordia added three more runs for a commanding 10-2 lead as Lippincott cleared the bases with a 3-run double to center. It was his second double of the game and 14th of the season, extending his school record for career doubles to 58.

The Mustangs would cut into the lead, making it 10-6 after a 4-run sixth inning with Concordia adding five more runs in the sixth to take their largest lead of the game, 15-6.

The Mustangs cut back into the lead with five unanswered runs to end the game, but never had the tying run on deck.

Junior right hander Andy Fagely (Mahtomedi, Minn.) worked 6.0 innings for the win, improving to 4-2 while throwing 93 pitches.

Freshman Kyle Dalton (Hopkins, Minn.) went 4-for-6 at the plate, going 6-for-10 in the two games to raise his average to .418. Lippincott went 4-for-6 as well, going 5-for-8 in the two games and is hitting .523. Giel added a 3-for-5 performance with back-to-back 4-RBI games.

The two teams conclude the series tomorrow with a doubleheader at noon.