SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Concordia St. Paul baseball (16-23, 12-13 NSIC) dropped Saturday's doubleheader to the Augustana (36-16, 25-7 NSIC) at Ronken Field as they dropped game one 6-3 and game two 14-4.
 
The Golden Bears will return to action tomorrow at noon for the series finale against the Augustana Vikings at Ronken Field.
 
GAME 1: CSP 3, AUGIE 6 (Seven Innings)
The Two teams traded blows in the early innings, with Concordia holding a 3-1 lead heading into the sixth inning. However, the Vikings were able to use a five run sixth inning to capture the 6-3 victory in game one of the doubleheader.
 
Nick Thimsen excelled at the plate after going 2-3, which included a pair of home runs that accounted for all three of the Golden Bears' runs. Bryce Nelson, Kal Brohmer, Jaden Werner and Justin McGuigan each contributed with a hit each in the eight hit performance.
 
Korey Dahlberg made his 10th start of the season for CSP this season. The sophomore went 5.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts, allowing only three walks and a pair of runs in the no-decision. From the bullpen, Eric Lundell (2-3) was charged with the loss and Matt Sherman closed the game out with 1.1 innings and a strikeout.
 
CSP found the scoreboard first with a home run in the first inning from Thimsen that excited the ballpark from left field. However, the Vikings responded with a run of their own in the next half inning after a fielder's choice allowed the runner from third to cross with the bases loaded.
 
In the third inning, the Golden Bears added a pair of runs to regain the lead after Thimsen hit his second home run of the game to left center with Brohmer, who walked earlier in the inning, in scoring position to give them a 3-1 advantage.
 
Neither team was able to find their momentum in the next two innings until the Vikings scored five runs off four hits in the sixth inning. Augustana was able to hold on for the remainder of the game to secure the 6-3 win in game one.
 
GAME 2: CSP 4, AUGIE 14
Augustana carried over their momentum from game one into the second game, as they used a strong 16-hit performance that included five home runs and four doubles to best the Golden Bears, 14-4.
 
Thimsen, Werner, Mason Nadolney, and Mason Wolf each had multi-hit games to combine for eight of Concordia's 11. Noah Juliar was the lone Golden Bear to record an extra base hit in the contest with a double to left field in the sixth.
 
Jonah Lewis (3-5) also made his 10th start of the season with 5.0 innings of work and ended with a game-high six strikeouts. Leo Bustos recorded 3.0 innings with a trio of strikeouts and only one walked batter from the bullpen. Carter Schulte appeared on the mound for the second straight game as a closer with a strikeout in the final inning.
 
The Golden Bears found themselves in an early hole after allowing the Vikings to put up four runs in the second inning that was highlighted by a leadoff homer and a two-RBI double to cap off the inning.

However, CSP answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the Viking lead in half after a fielding error allowed Juliar to reach safely before back-to-back singles from Werner and Nadolney loaded the bases. An RBI single through the left side from Wolf allowed Juliar to score the first run of the game, and McGuigan added an RBI in the next at-bat to allow Werner to score from third, making the score 4-2.
 
The Golden Bears added two more runs in the game with an RBI single from Thimsen that scored Brayden Roybal in the seventh and an RBI single from Koby McBroome in the ninth to drive in Thimsen for their fourth and final run.
 
Augustana added a three-run homer in the fourth, a two-run homer in the fifth, a pair of home runs in the eighth and a trio of runs in the ninth that was highlighted by an RBI double in route to the 14-4 victory in game two.