SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Concordia-St. Paul (9-7, 2-2 NSIC) and Bemidji State (11-9, 2-2) split Saturday night's doubleheader as the teams open Northern Sun play splitting the four game series played at Karras Park on the campus of Augustana College. Concordia won the first game 6-1 before a late rally fell short in a 7-6 game two loss.

GAME 1: Concordia 6, Bemidji State 1
Freshman left handed pitcher Zach Rengel (Fergus Falls, Minn.) was unhittable in the first game, racking up nine strikeouts over six solid innings. He struck out the first five batters he faced to earn his first collegiate win while improving to 1-2.

He scattered three hits and walked one while throwing 79 pitches. His only blemish was a solo home run by Chad Hanson in the fourth inning.

But Concordia already held a 3-0 lead at the time thanks to a three-run home run by senior Greg Larpenter (Urbandale, Iowa) in the third inning. It was Larpenter's first home run of the season, and the team's second of the year. He went 2-3 and scored twice in the game.

Concordia padded Rengel's lead in the sixth with three more runs keyed by a two-out, two-run single by Elliot Powell (Minnetonka, Minn.).

Sophomore Kyle Dalton (Minnetonka, Minn.) scored on both Larpenter's and Powell's hits while going 2-3 in the game. Larpenter and Dalton would reach base safely in each game (H, BB, HBP) and have extended their streaks to 16 and 13, respecitvely.

Redshirt freshman Tyler Brekke (Lakeville, Minn.) worked a scoreless seventh inning in a non-save situation, picking up a strikeout.

Miles Campbell took the loss for BSU, falling to 1-1. Concordia tagged him for six runs (five earned) over five innings.

GAME 2: Bemidji State 7, Concordia 6
Bemidji State hit three solo home runs in the first three innings including back-to-back shots in the second to give BSU an early 3-0.

Concordia picked up its third three-run inning of the day, getting on the board with three runs in the third inning off of Dalton's two-run single to center with T.J. Obermeyer (Sergeant Bluff, Iowa) adding an RBI single later in the inning.

The Golden Bears would leave the bases full in the inning, however, as the score remained tied after three.

In the fourth, BSU reclaimed its solid lead by posting a four run inning, chasing starter John Hayes (Lakeville, Minn.) from the game with no outs in the inning. Freshman right hander Yuji Suzuki (Toronto, Ontario) came on in relief, and after allowing each of Hayes' inherited runners to score along with one of his own, would settle into a groove.

Trailing 7-3, Suzuki kept the Golden Bears in the game. He retired 16 of the last 19 batters he'd face, inducing a double play in the process. The three blemishes during the five-plus solid relief innings were all scattered singles that were hit on the ground.

Suzuki would work 6.0 innings, allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts and no walks.

The offense attempted to climb back into the game as freshman Eric Fasnacht (Eden Prairie, Minn.) hit a one-out double to left in the seventh inning and scored along with Dalton on a two-out, two-run double to left center by Larpenter.

Trailing by two runs with two outs in the ninth inning, senior Paul Giel III (Minnetonka, Minn.) pulled a solo home run to left to keep Concordia alive and within a run of extending the game. Dalton beat out an infield single before Larpenter struck out to end the game and the rally.

Dalton went 3-4 with a pair of RBI to raise his average to .388 on the year. Giel's homer extended his hitting streak to five games, as he's increased his average to .277 despite a slow start.

The two RBI by Larpenter put him in the team lead with nine on the year, as he's second on the team with a .319 average. He also leads the team with a .489 slugging percentage.

Hayes was hit with the loss, falling to 1-1 in his second start (third appearance).

Concordia is scheduled to take on Winona State next Saturday and Sunday in Winona, Minn. for a four game series on April 6-7. Concordia swept WSU in a non-conference doubleheader on March 16 at Metrodome earlier this season.