MARSHALL, Minn. - Senior right handed starting pitcher John Hayes (Lakeville, Minn.) pitched a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts in game one as Concordia-St. Paul (21-11, 13-9 NSIC) swept Southwest Minnesota State (17-20, 8-13 NSIC) 7-0 and 7-2 in a Tuesday afternoon doubleheader at Alumni Field.

Junior Kyle Dalton went 3-5 in each game to post six hits in the twin bill, scoring three and driving in two runs. Senior Drew Turk went 5-9 including a four hit first game. Concordia had 29 hits (.387) while the pitching staff held SMSU to just 11 (.190) and only one for extra bases (a double).

Concordia improves to 13-9 in the NSIC with the key sweep of SMSU, who falls to 8-13 in league play. Pending the results of Bemidji State hosting Minnesota Crookston in the second game of their doubleheader, Concordia moves into fourth place in the NSIC, just percentage points ahead of Northern State in a virtual tie as the Wolves swept Winona State today. If BSU is able to defeat UMC in game two (BSU trails UMC 1-0 in the bottom of the fourth), the Beavers would skip ahead of NSU and Concordia into fourth but in the same three team virtual tie. Sitting a half game behind Concordia and Northern State are Wayne State and Winona State with 13-10 records in a seventh place tie.

Concordia hosts Upper Iowa (3-13, 14th) this weekend in a four game series at Barnes Field with Sunday marking senior day for the Golden Bears' six seniors.

GAME 1: Concordia 7, SMSU 0
In Concordia's first-ever game at Alumni Field and the second trip to Marshall, Minn. (first since 2000), the Golden Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning for Hayes.

Junior Kyle Dalton led off with a double to right field, his seventh, before the Golden Bears rallied for four singles in the inning to take the early lead.

Hayes responded well to the run support, getting the Mustangs in order in the first and third innings and pitched around a runner on second three times.

He picked up steam late, striking out the side in the seventh inning, retiring three Mustangs swinging in a row to end the game with a runner on second.

Hayes has pitched at least six innings in all five of his starts, allowing two runs or less in four straight to lower his season ERA to 3.09. In his five starts, he's yet to throw 100 pitches, too, needing just 97 today.

He's now 4-1 on the year, he scattered five singles and didn't issue any walks. In four NSIC starts, Hayes is 4-0 with a 0.93 ERA in 29 innings. He's struck out 16 and walked only five in those four Northern Sun starts with two complete games.

Offensively, senior Drew Turk went 4-5, his second four hit game in the last three and he also drove in and scored a run. Dalton went 3-5 with a run and an RBI while the 4-5-6 hitters, Brooks Beilke, Eric Fasnacht and Joe Muench, all had 2-4 games. Beilke scored twice and Muench drove in two.

Jimmy Callahan was tagged with his first loss, falling to 5-1 while working a season low 3.0 innings in his seventh start. He allowed six runs on 11 hits as his ERA rose to 3.97.

Ryan Ecalbarger worked 4.0 allowing just a run to finish the game for the Mustangs.

GAME 2: Concordia 7, SMSU 2
The Golden Bears needed late inning heroics in game two as they were unable to scratch across a run in the first six innings.

Freshman left handed starter Kevin Woebke did all he could to keep the game close. He allowed a run in the third as the Mustangs led off with a single from the bottom of the order by Ryan Engels, and played small ball to move him over as he scored on a sacrifice fly. In the fifth, Engels drew a one out walk and scored with two outs on an RBI double by Jordon Kontz.

Woebke was otherwise outstanding once again, not allowing a runner in scoring position in any other inning through the first six.

In the seventh, the Golden Bears got things going with two outs when sophomore Alex LaPorte drew a walk to put runners on first and second for the top of the lineup. Dalton followed with an RBI single to center, everyone moved up on a walk by Turk to load the bases when Poppitz slugged a two run single to right to put Concordia ahead 3-2.

After Woebke walked the leadoff batter in the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Bear bullpen took over.

Woebke went 6.0-plus, allowing two runs on four hits with five strikeouts to three walks. He's pitched into the sixth inning in all four of his starts and holds a 3.81 ERA over 28.1 innings with a team-leading 25 strikeouts in his rookie season.

The Mustangs tried to play small ball with the bottom of the lineup again as Engels bunted the runner to second off sophomore right handed reliever Tyler Brekke. But Brekke caught Ben Korger looking and induced a pop out by Kontz to retire the side.

Concordia added a run in the eighth as Fasnacht led off with a triple and scored on a suicide squeeze by junior Tyler Krekling to give Concordia a two run lead, 4-2.

Sophomore left handed pitcher Zach Rengel pitched the eighth, allowing a pair of Mustang hits to start the inning to the 3-4 hitters, but pitching around the singles to leave them at first and second with a couple fly outs and a ground out comebacker.

Concordia put more distance in the ninth with another two out rally. Poppitz hit a two out double to right field to put runners on second and third, with Dalton moving up to third on the play. Beilke followed with a two run single and Fasnacht hit a triple to right center to score Beilke from first for two triples in as many innings for the sophomore shortstop.

Fasnacht has now hit four triples on the season.

In the bottom of the ninth, senior relief specialist Colton Petron sent the Mustangs down in order on three straight grounders to second to close the door.

Concordia's bullpen allowed only the two eighth inning singles to SMSU to preserve the win for Woebke, who improves to 2-2. In five NSIC appearances (three starts), Woebke is 2-1 with a 3.13 ERA.

Poppitz, Beilke and Fasnacht each went 2-5 in the second game and all scored a run. Poppitz and Beilke knocked in two with Fasnacht adding another. Dalton was 3-5 with two runs and an RBI in teh second game.