ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia Golden Bears baseball team (20-21, 14-15 NSIC) picked up a huge doubleheader sweep of Sioux Falls (17-27, 14-20 NSIC) on Friday afternoon at Barnes Field to kick off the four-game series. CSP cruised to an 11-3 win in game one before capping it off in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 walk-off win in 11 innings in game two.
 
The Golden Bears provided themselves with some crucial breathing room in the race for a spot in the NSIC Tournament as they entered the day with a virtual half game lead over several teams, including USF, in the seventh spot in the standings. As things stand on Friday night after the sweep, CSP now holds a 1.5 game lead over eighth-place Winona State and a two game lead over Upper Iowa while Sioux Falls, Northern State and Minnesota Crookston are all 2.5 games back.
 
GAME ONE: Concordia-St. Paul 11, Sioux Falls 3
The Golden Bears took advantage of a pair of big innings as they put up five-run innings in both the second and the fifth to run away with the first game of the series.
 
Connor Olson provided the big highlight with his second grand slam of the season while Zach Elder added a pair of run-scoring singles in the win. Olson's homer was his third of the year overall.
 
Joining in the offensive attack, Roch Whittaker and Patrick Bordewick each knocked two singles apiece while Isaac Hormann picked up two RBIs as well.
 
Gus Varland (6-3) had more than enough run support in the game as he held the Cougars to two runs (one earned) while scattering eight hits and striking out six in his 6.0 innings of work. Louie Varland and Shane Benson combined to record the final three outs to finish off the game.
 
Zachary Miller (2-6) helped save the bullpen for the Cougars as he gutted out the complete game, allowing 11 runs (six earned) on 12 hits in 6.0 innings in the loss.
 
After Connor Merriam gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with an RBI single, the Golden Bears responded in a big way with five runs in their half of the inning. Concordia did all of their damage with two outs as Zach Elder tied the game with a solid opposite field single to bring home Whittaker before Hormann roped a single to left to bring in two more. Carter Schmidt added another run-scoring single that skipped past the centerfielder and allowed another run to cross the plate to extend it to 5-1.
 
Concordia added to the lead one inning later as a relay throw on a potential inning-ending double play off the bat of Mickey Leius sailed over the first baseman's head allowed Patrick Bordewick to score from second.
 
The Cougars got one back on a Brent Griffing-Jarvis RBI single in the top of the fifth, but once again CSP answered with a five-spot in the bottom of the inning. Elder got the rally going with a bases loaded single to bring in pinch runner Jake Steckler before Olson deposited an 0-1 pitch on top of the Gangelhoff Center to put the game away with a grand glam.
 
Four walks in the top of the seventh gave USF one more run, but Benson came in and threw one pitch to record the final out to seal the 11-3 win.
 
GAME TWO: Concordia-Paul 3, Sioux Falls 2 (11 inn.)
While the Golden Bears ran away with game one, the team had to scrap and claw to come from behind to tie it before winning in extras on a Zach Elder walk-off single in the 11^th.
 
Elder capped off a big day in impressive fashion as his fourth single of the doubleheader proved to be the game winner. The hit was his second of the game as he also singled and scored in the fifth.
 
Mickey Leius, who scored the Golden Bears' first run of the game as well as the last, added a single and a double as well. Patrick Bordewick gave the team three players with multi-hit games as he went 2-4 with a double to register his third straight two-hit game, bumping his season average up to .268.
 
Despite not factoring into the decision, Kevin Woebke spun a gem as he matched his career-best with 11 strikeouts while allowing just two runs on five hits in 8.0 innings. Woebke finished on a major high note by retiring the final 16 batters he faced.
 
The bullpen kept the impressive pitching performance going as Shane Benson worked out of a jam to complete a scoreless ninth before Jake Kounkel shut the door over the final 2.0 innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Kounkel (2-1), the team leader with four saves, picked up his second win of the year with the solid outing.
 
Keenahn Coyle matched Woebke stride for stride as he worked the first 8.0 innings for the Cougars while giving up a pair of runs on six hits in the no-decision. Mitchell Lyall (0-4) took the loss as he threw two shutout innings before giving up the walk-off hit with one out in the 11^th.
 
It was the Cougars who struck first again in the second game as Josh Rehwaldt followed a Brent Griffing-Jarvis double with an RBI single in the first to quickly make it 1-0.
 
USF added another in the third on an Austin Richey double into the right field corner to drive in Rehwaldt, but that would be the last of the damage against Woebke.
 
Woebke shut the door from there as he retired 16 straight hitters to hold Sioux Falls at two runs into the ninth.
 
While Woebke was putting up zeroes, Concordia tied things up with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs and nobody on, Mickey Leius got the rally started with a double before Zach Elder drew a walk to keep the inning alive. Connor Olson followed with a line drive single to left to bring in Leius before two wild pitches allowed Elder to score to push the score to 2-2.
 
After a few quiet innings, the Golden Bears threatened to take the lead in the eighth with a single for Hormann and walks to Whittaker and Bordewick before a strikeout got Coyle out of the inning.
 
Sioux Falls put up their own rally a half an inning later with runners on second and third with one out, but Benson followed with a strikeout and a ground out to keep the game tied at 2-2 heading to the bottom of the ninth.
 
The score remained tied into the 11^th when the Cougars found themselves with a golden opportunity to take the lead with a runner on third with one out. Kounkel came up big, however, as he coaxed a shallow fly out to left and a fly out to center to end the inning.
 
Concordia finally broke the deadlock in the bottom of the 11^th as Mickey Leius and Zach Elder combined to get the job done. Leius lined a single to left that was misplayed by the left fielder, allowing him to move up to second with one out, setting the stage for Elder. Elder then took a 2-1 offering and hit a hard shot to center and Leius beat the throw at the plate to send the CSP bench into a frenzy. Both Leius and Elder were mobbed out on the field as the Golden Bears finished off the doubleheader sweep in style with a 3-2 walk-off win in 11 innings.
 
The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow on Senior Day with first pitch at noon.