MINNETONKA, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul (14-10, 7-5 NSIC) picked up a 1-0 victory in the first game against Southwest Minnesota State (10-22-1, 5-13) on Thursday morning at Veterans Field on the campus of Minnetonka High School. In game two, Concordia pulled out a late-inning 3-2 win for the sweep.

The first game victory was the 300th for head baseball coach Mark "Lunch" McKenzie. It was only fitting that the win came at Minnetonka High School, where he started his coaching career and all three of his kids graduated from high school and later went on to play college baseball/softball. In his 14th season at Concordia, McKenzie is 301-234-1 and is the program's all-time wins leader.

Additionally, this weekend's four game series against Sioux Falls has been moved back one day, to a Sunday/Monday series with noon first pitch each day.

GAME 1: Concordia 1, SMSU 0
The two teams traded scoreless frames for the first five innings in a solid pitcher's duel. Concordia freshman left hander Zach Rengel (Fergus Falls, Minn.) pitched around a pair of first inning walks and worked around a runner on third in the third inning.

The Mustangs also put a runner on second base against Rengel in the fourth and sixth innings but each time he pitched out of trouble.

Meanwhile, SMSU starter Brandan Alfson was similarly effective but Concordia didn't get a runner to scoring position until the fifth inning, leaving a runner on first in the first, second and fourth innings.

In the fifth, Drew Turk (Plainfield, Ill.) reached on a two base throwing error on a grounder to shortstop, he'd advance to third on a grounder to second by Jared Kramer (Wausau, Wis.) and would come in to score on a sacrifice fly to center by Trevon Bargfrede (Jackson, Minn.).

Turk had one of Concordia's two hits, a second inning single to center. Concordia's other hit was a single to right center in the fourth by Ryan Poppitz (Plymouth, Minn.).

Concordia carried a 1-0 lead into the seventh behind Rengel. After getting a strikeout to start the seventh, Rengel walked a pair of hitters and gave way to senior left hander Griff Kilber (Chanhassen, Minn.).

The veteran southpaw struck out his first batter, and hit SMSU's leadoff hitter Jon Ellis to load the bases with two outs. Kilber forced a deep line out to Turk in left field to close the game out for the Golden Bears.

Rengel threw 6.1 shutout innings, allowing just one hit. He issued five walks but struck out seven while throwing 112 pitches. He improves to 3-2 on the year while lowering his ERA to 1.95 on the year.

Kilber picks up his second save, working 0.2 scoreless in his eighth appearance.

Alfson was hit with a tough loss, falling to 1-2 despite the complete game. He allowed just one unearned run, lowering his ERA to 2.42. He allowed just two hits and struck out four with one walk.

GAME 2: Concordia 3, SMSU 2
Concordia and SMSU each scored a run in the first inning, with the Mustangs starting play with a double into the left field corner followed by a run scoring single up the middle with no outs. Redshirt freshman right hander Tyler Brekke (Lakeville, Minn.), making his first start of the year, settled in, catching Jordon Kontz stealing and retiring the next two batters.

Concordia manufactured its run in the first, as Kyle Dalton (Minnetonka, Minn.) reached on a bunt single and moved up on a single by Greg Larpenter (Urbandale, Iowa). The two advanced on a groundout and Dalton scored on a passed ball.

From there, the two teams traded scoreless innings until the eighth. Brekke pitched out of trouble in the second, fourth and fifth innings, as the Mustangs put a runner on second base in each of the three innings. Working out of the fifth inning jam, Brekke would proceed to retire 11-straight, getting to the ninth inning with one out before SMSU got to him again.

Meanwhile, SMSU starter Tyler McGlauflin hit his stride earlier in the game, retiring nine straight from the third through sixth innings.

In the eighth, still tied at 1-1, sophomore Trevon Bargfrede (Jackson, Minn.) led off by lining an 0-1 pitch for a home run to left center, his second homer of the year. It was also Bargfrede's second go-ahead homer in the late innings, giving Concordia a 2-1 lead.

In the ninth, after Brekke retired his first batter, SMSU cleanup hitter Kyle Young drilled a double to right center and scored when Steven Kremer delivered an RBI single to left to tie the game.

The run scoring single ended Brekke's day after 8.1 innings. Sophomore right hander Adam Fredericks (Minnetonka, Minn.) came on and worked around a walk to retire the next two batters.

In the bottom of the ninth, Poppitz led off with a single up the middle, was moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Elliot Powell (Minnetonka, Minn.). After an intentional walk to Turk, a wild pitch moved both runners up to second and third as Eric Fasnacht (Eden Prairie, Minn.) would also draw an intentional walk after the wild pitch to load the bases. Senior Jared Kramer came on to pinch hit and lifted a deep fly to the left field warning track, with the ball dropping to end the game.

Brekke didn't factor into the decision, scattering seven hits while allowing two runs over the 8.1 innings. He struck out four and didn't walk anyone on 108 pitches. Fredericks picked up the win in relief to move to 1-0.

The loss went to SMSU reliever Dylan Shoemaker, allowing a run in 0.2 innings to fall to 0-1. Tyler McGlauflin went 7.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits with four strikeouts.

Dalton had Concordia's only two-hit game, going 2-4 with a stolen base, while Kontz had SMSU's only two-hit game, going 2-4 as well.