MARSHALL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul baseball (16-11, 8-10 NSIC) split with Southwest Minnesota State (15-11, 9-8 NSIC) after claiming a comeback victory in game one before dropping game two at Legion Field on Friday.
 
The Golden Bears and Mustangs will return to action tomorrow afternoon with a doubleheader finale. The first pitch is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m., with game two following shortly after.
 
GAME ONE: CSP 9 SMSU 5
Late-inning heroics were the highlight of game one after the Golden Bears scored six runs in the final inning to claim the series opener, 9-5.
 
As a team, the Golden Bears collected 11 hits. Justin McGuigan led the way for the Navy and Gold with a 3-4 outing at the plate with a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Kal Brohmer also shined with a pair of hits, two RBIs, and a run score of his own.
 
On the bump, Korey Dahlberg (3-2) made his seventh start of the season for CSP. The Farmington, Minnesota native worked 6.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts en route to his third win of the season.
 
After the Mustangs captured early momentum with a 2-RBI double down the right field line from Owen Lantendress in the first, Concordia answered with their first run of the game in the next half inning after Koby McBroome drove in Bryce Nelson with an infield single.
 
In the third, Brohmer rattled the Mustangs with a 2-RBI single to center field, driving in Jaden Werner and Noah Juliar to give CSP their first lead of the game at 3-2. However, SMSU answered firmly with a home run from Isaac Nett in the third and Kennan Wenzel in the fifth.
 
Down to their final three outs, the Golden Bears rallied with six runs on two hits in the seventh. The scoring barrage was highlighted by a 2-RBI single to right field from McGuigan that tied the game at 5-5. Back-to-back RBI walks from Brayden Roybal and Nick Thimsen gave Concordia their second lead of the game, before a throwing from the Mustangs added a pair of insurance runs to make the score 9-5.
 
Matt Sherman, who has seen the most action out of the bullpen this season with 12 appearances, closed the show on the mound in the final half-inning. The senior collected a strikeout that helped secure the four run win.
 
GAME TWO: CSP 0, SMSU 3
The Golden Bears momentum was halted in game two, as they were shut out for the first time in the 2024 campaign.
 
Hits were more challenging in the second game, with the team combining for six, led by Juliar, who had a two-hit performance at the plate. Thimsen was the only CSP player to collect an extra-base hit with his double to right center field in the fourth.
 
On the mound, Gavin Rusch (3-2) was charged with his second loss of the season. The Green Bay, Wisconsin native batted through 6.0 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Reliever Jack Greenlun was the only other pitcher to appear in the game, and he finished with three strikeouts in the final two innings.
 
After neither team was able to find the scoring column in the opening three frames, Southwest Minnesota State broke the gridlock with three runs in the fourth that was highlighted by an RBI single from Jake Tauer.
 
CSP could never capitalize on the momentum gained throughout the contest, with 10 players being stranded on base. SMSU left nine players of their own on the base but held on to claim the 3-0 victory.