Box Score 1 PHOTOS: by Kris Fasnacht

MINNEAPOLIS - Concordia-St. Paul (3-4) was unable to hold a three run lead with three outs to play, falling 8-7 to Southwest Minnesota State (3-2) on Wednesday afternoon at Metrodome. The Mustangs scored four in the bottom of the seventh inning to steal the game. Concordia led 3-1 in the top of the sixth inning in game two when the game was suspended. The teams will attempt to find a time and place to complete the game.

GAME 1: SMSU 8, Concordia 7
The Golden Bears used a 3-run fifth inning to take a 5-1 lead over the Mustangs. The Golden Bear bats were alive, slugging three doubles and a triple among 10 hits in the contest. Drew Turk (Plainfield, Ill.) led the offense with a 2-2 performance, driving in three runs including a 2-run double in the fifth inning. He also walked and scored twice.

Senior right hander Andy Fagely (Mahtomedi, Minn.) was solid through five, allowing a run on three hits with a pair of strikeouts. After getting the first out in the sixth, he issued a walk followed by back-to-back singles and a double to end his afternoon leading 5-3.

Sophomore reliever Nicho Roessler (St. Anthony, Minn.) allowed one of his runners to score but recorded the final two outs of the inning without any further damage as the Golden Bears led 5-4 entering the seventh.

Fagely's final line was 5.1 innings, four earned runs on six hits. He did not factor into the decision.

In the seventh inning, Concordia added a pair of insurance runs when Elliot Powell (Minnetonka, Minn.) delivered an RBI triple off the baggy in right, and scored when Mick Sawinski (St. Louis Park, Minn.) delivered a rope to the left center field gap for an RBI double. Powell was 2-3 with two RBI, two runs and a walk in the game.

In the seventh, the first four Mustangs reached base with three singles and a walk to score the first two runs, cutting the gap to 7-6 with no outs. With the bases loaded and one out, Jon Ellis delivered a game-winning 2-run double to right center for the walk-off SMSU win.

The loss was charged to Colton Petron (New Ulm, Minn.) as the reliever falls to 2-1 on the season in his fourth appearance.

SMSU used five pitchers in the game with Brandan Alfson getting the win with just one out recorded.

GAME 2: Concordia 3, SMSU 1 - suspended
The second game was suspended via the halted game rule as the coaches will now work out a time to conclude the final two innings.

Concordia led by two runs entering the top of the sixth inning with SMSU coming to bat.

Junior right hander Adam Kramer (Wausau, Wis.) worked 5.0 innings, allowing a solo home run and scattering three other hits. He had eight strikeouts and no walks while throwing 87 pitches.

Concordia's offense once again forced SMSU to the bullpen often, as the Mustangs had used four pitchers. The first three pitchers will not be available for the conclusion of the game.

Senior Jared Kramer (Wausau, Wis.) hit a solo home run to left centerfield in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Sawinski had an RBI double in a 2-run second inning for Concordia.

A.Kramer's only blemish was a solo shot by Kyle Young in the top of the fourth.

When plans for the completion of the game are finalized, they will be announced on cugoldenbears.com and/or smsumustangs.com.

Concordia returns to action next week at Metrodome with a March 5 doubleheader against Jamestown and a March 8 doubleheader against Missouri S&T. Both start times are 7 a.m.