MINNETONKA, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul baseball team (9-6, 3-0 NSIC) capped off an impressive week with a 2-1 win over Bemidji State (3-14, 0-3 NSIC) as they claimed an NSIC-opening weekend sweep and extended their winning streak to five.
The Golden Bears claimed their first weekend sweep in NSIC play since taking a four-game set against Minnesota Duluth in Superior, Wis. back on March 31-April 1, 2019. CSP also made it 16 wins in the past 17 meetings with the Beavers as they improved to 46-25 in the all-time series.
Concordia's pitching staff continued to baffle the BSU hitters as
Korey Dahlberg,
Wyatt Rudolf and
Alec Holcomb combined to allow just one run on four hits in what proved to be a pitcher's duel in the series finale. Dahlberg (2-0) made it two wins in as many starts as he limited the Beavers to a run on two hits in his 5.0 innings in the start, striking out a pair.
Wyatt Rudolf extended his scoreless inning streak to 9.2 as he lowered his season ERA to 2.08 with 2.2 scoreless frames in relief. The right-hander allowed two hits and a walk while striking out one.
Alec Holcomb preserved the Golden Bear lead as he stranded the bases loaded in the top of the eighth with an inning-ending fielder's choice before working around a pair of hit batters in the ninth to lock down his third save of the year.
On the weekend, CSP's six pitchers held Bemidji State to just three runs and 14 hits while walking six and striking out 26 in 25.0 innings, tallying a 1.08 ERA and a .179 opponent average in a dominant effort.
At the plate in game three,
Jaden Werner and
Matt Pietsch each reached safely three times as Werner went 2-2 with a walk and an RBI single while Pietsch went 2-3 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.
Jack Young added the team's other hit as he went 1-4 on the day.
With BSU starter Grant Hartmann departing after 1.1 scoreless frames, Bemidji State used five pitchers in the contest with Isaiah Biehn provided bulk innings, working 4.1 innings of one-run ball with three hits and three strikeouts.
It was Werner that put the Golden Bears in front in the third as he singled home
Mason Wolf, who was hit by a pitch to start the inning, before Pietsch singled, stole second and came around to score on a Wolf sacrifice fly to double the lead to 2-0 in the fourth.
The Beavers got one back with a Derek Dolezal sacrifice fly in the top of the fifth, but that would prove to be all the scoring for the game. BSU put two runners on in each of the final three innings, but Concordia's pitching staff took care of business in all three innings to secure the one-run win.
Concordia is scheduled for five more NSIC contests at home this week as they have Northern State coming to town for a Wednesday doubleheader before hosting Minnesota Crookston for a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.
