CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Concordia Golden Bears baseball team (9-14, 5-12 NSIC) used a six-run seventh in game one to grab a 9-4 win before dropping game two 6-1 to Minnesota Crookston (16-2, 11-2 NSIC) on Sunday at UMC Baseball Field.
 
GAME ONE: Concordia-St. Paul 9, Minnesota Crookston 4
After the teams traded the lead back and forth early in the contest, the CSP bats came through in the seventh as they scored six runs to claim the decisive advantage in the third and final conference game of the series.
 
The Golden Bears took advantage of their opportunities at the plate as they needed just seven hits to score nine runs in the victory. The team's patience at the plate played a big role as they drew nine walks to aid the offensive effort.
 
Senior shortstop Patrick Bordewick had a big game at the plate as he went 2-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run scored while Matt Pietsch picked up a hit and a walk while scoring three times. Ryan Christopher and Jarod Wandersee each reached base safely three times in the game as Christopher finished 2-4 with a walk and run scored while Wandersee walked three times, scored once and drove in another. Ryan Bastyr added a two-run single while Thimsen chipped in an RBI single of his own.
 
CSP starter Michael Voss was solid on the hill as he limited Minnesota Crookston to just four hits and two runs over 5.0 innings while striking out four in a no-decision. TJ Johnson (3-2) picked up the win as he allowed one run on no hits in his inning in relief before Connor Hurley finished it off with 3.0 innings of one-run ball and four strikeouts to grab his second save of the year.
 
It was the Golden Bears that struck first as they opened the scoring in the top of the first. The inning started innocently with the first two hitters being retired, CSP took advantage of a two-out error to extend the inning before a Bordewick single followed by Christopher and Wandersee walks made it 1-0.
 
Minnesota Crookston answered with a run in the bottom of the first to tie it before taking the lead with another run in the second. The Golden Eagles used a pair of two-out rallies of their own as they used a walk, a wild pitch and a Brock Reller RBI single evened the score at 1-1 in the opening frame before an Eli Jung double and a Landyn Swenson run-scoring single gave UMC a 2-1 lead after two innings.
 
The two starting pitchers followed with three scoreless frames before Concordia regained the lead. Pietsch got things started with a one-out single before Bordewick went to the opposite field for a two-run homer to give the Golden Bears a 3-2 lead.
 
The lead lasted just a half an inning as Minnesota Crookston scored a run without a hit in the bottom of the sixth as Jung walked and came all the way around to score on three wild pitches.
 
Concordia delivered the big blow in the in the seventh as they scored six to break the game open. Thimsen put the Golden Bears back in front with an RBI single while Bordewick added a sacrifice fly and Bastyr drove in two to highlight the big inning.
 
The Golden Eagles got one back with a leadoff homer in their half of the inning, but Hurley slammed the door from there and blanked UMC the rest of the way to nail down the save and the 9-4 win.
 
GAME TWO: Minnesota Crookston 6, Concordia-St. Paul 1
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead with four in the first and two in the second and didn't look back as CSP was held to three hits in the 6-1 loss.
 
The trio of Ray Wellner, Logan Shaffer and Ryan Fering provided a bright spot for the Golden Bears as they combined for 4.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just two hits and striking out three. Wyatt Rudolf (0-2) got the start and was tagged with the loss as he gave up four runs in the first.
 
Shea Pekarek, Ryan Christopher and Patrick Bordewick picked up the team's three hits as Pekarek also drew a walk and scored the lone run for the squad in the game.
 
UMC's Jake Osowski picked up the win as he allowed just an unearned run on three hits with no walks and five strikeouts over 6.0 innings.
 
Minnesota Crookston was able to push four runs across the plate with just two hits in the first as Jake Hjelle made it 2-0 with an RBI single before Stroh doubled the lead with a two-run single of his own. The first three hitters reached safely in the second as UMC added to their lead with a Zimmerman RBI hit followed by a Brock Reller RBI groundout to bring the score to 6-0.
 
The Golden Bears broke up the shutout in the fifth as Pekarek led off the frame with a single before moving up to second on a wild pitch and moving up to third on a Mitch Klass groundout. He eventually came around to score on a UMC error, but that proved to be all the scoring for CSP as Minnesota Crookston claimed a series victory with a 6-1 game four win.
 
The road trip continues this week as CSP travels to Bemidji State on Wednesday for a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader before traveling to Augustana for a three-game weekend series.