ST. CLOUD, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul (16-4, 9-2 NSIC) matched its best overall start through 19 games, topping #1 St. Cloud State (26-2, 11-2 NSIC) 7-5 in the first game of Wednesday afternoon's doubleheader at Faber Field. The Golden Bears dropped game two 11-4 to snap a four game winning streak as two of the top teams in the league split a mid-week doubleheader.

Concordia remains on the road this weekend at Minnesota Duluth (17-9, 10-4 NSIC) for a four game series with doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

GAME 1: Concordia 7, St. Cloud State 5
Sophomore catcher Connor Olson delivered a one out grand slam in the top of the sixth inning to break a 3-3 tie. It was Olson's seventh home run of the season, giving him 26 RBIs through the first 20 games.

Junior left handed pitcher Josh Lenz nearly went the distance in his first start, allowing five runs on nine hits, striking out three and issuing only two walks in 6.2 innings.

He was lifted after SCSU shortstop Kyle Lieser hit a two-out two-run home run in the seventh. He picked up the win to improve to 4-0 on the year.

Junior left handed pitcher Kevin Woebke was called upon to get the final out, retiring the only batter he faced to secure his first save in his first relief appearance.

Concordia fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but tacked three on the board in the top of the third with five consecutive 1-out singles following an error. Freshman Ben Suits tied the game with an RBI single followed by seniors Ryan Poppitz and Alex LaPorte for the 3-1 lead.

SCSU got a run back in the third and another in the fourth, but had a runner thrown out at home by Lenz on a comebacker to wreck a one out rally in the third inning. In the fourth, SCSU played small ball following a leadoff double, moving the runner up and then scoring the run on a pair of ground outs to the right side.

Concordia roughed up one of the top pitcher in the country, Sheldon Miks to seven runs in 6.0 innings. Miks was an All-American as a freshman and boasts one of the top ERAs in the land as a sophomore. Only two of the seven scored against him were earned, but Concordia produced eight hits against him as he fell to 6-1.

Poppitz and LaPorte each had two-hit games with Poppitz going 2-4 and LaPorte 2-3.

SCSU had five of its nine hits go for extra bases as Lieser hit his 13th double and third homer, Karl Sorensen hit his 10th double and fourth triple and Reese Gregory hit his 10th double.

GAME 2: St. Cloud State 11, Concordia 4
The Huskies pounced early again, scoring a run in the bottom of the first on a leadoff homer by Brandon Arnold, his fourth of the year. He went 2-5 in the game for SCSU.

Concordia struck back in a big way in the top of the second as Ryan Poppitz and Isaac Hormann connected for solo home runs in the inning to take a 2-1 lead for freshman right hander Keanu Mendez.

It was Poppitz's second home run of the year and Hormann's first career blast.

Mendez settled into a groove following the Arnold leadoff homer. He plowed through the Husky lineup by retiring eight of the next nine hitters, picking off the lone baserunner in the third inning after a leadoff single.

Through three innings, Mendez allowed a run on two hits with three strikeouts and no walks.

In the fourth, SCSU was able to get to him in their second look at the dynamic pitcher. Following a leadoff walk, Mendez allowed three straight singles before an out and his second walk ended his day.

He would take the loss in the game, allowing six runs on five hits and a pair of walks with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings to fall to 3-1.

The Huskies would put up six runs in the inning, getting to right handed reliever Jake Kounkel as well.

SCSU's national leading offense was poised to break through in game two, producing 11 runs on 14 hits with four extra base hits.

Trailing 8-2 in the sixth, Concordia clawed back when Tanner Holmquist hit his seventh home run of the year, a two-run shot that drove in Connor Olson who led off the inning with his 10th double.

Olson is now hitting .392 with 10 doubles, seven home runs and 26 RBI in 20 games. Holmquist has hit his seven home runs in two fewer contests and is driving in a run per game with 18 in as many games. LaPorte went 3-6 in the doubleheader, lifting his average to .383, trailing only Olson for the team lead and has only struck out five times in 60 at bats with a team-best .456 on base percentage.

Despite allowing four runs on three home runs to the Golden Bear offense, SCSU starter Kevin Bolder picked up the win to improve to 5-0. He allowed six hits while striking out four in 7.0 innings.

St. Cloud State's ninth hitter Logan Swann did the most damage, driving in four runs while going 2-3 with his second home run.