ST. PAUL, Minn. - Concordia-St. Paul (16-21, 12-15 NSIC) picked up a strong start from senior Fritz Meyer who was backed by four home runs in a first game 12-4 win to snap a 5-game losing streak with the Golden Bears falling 14-10 in 11 innings in a game two doubleheader split with Winona State (17-20, 13-14 NSIC) on a mild spring afternoon for Concordia's home opener at Barnes Field. 

Concordia remains in 10th place in the conference standings, just one game out of the top-eight, and will remain at home for a 3-game series against second-place Augustana (26-11, 20-7 NSIC), looking to snap the Vikings' 7-game winning streak in the series taking place at Barnes Field on Friday (7/9 DH) and Saturday (9).

In a big offensive afternoon for Concordia, sophomore catcher Trett Joles provided punch in each game as he went 3-8 with six RBIs including a double and a grand slam in the first game while delivering multiple RBIs in each contest. Concordia produced 27 hits, nine walks and three HBP in the doubleheader.

Charlie Harms continued to mash with a 5-hit day, going 5-9 with a home run, scoring four runs and driving in five. Bennett McCollow also stayed hot with a 4-hit day (4-9) including a 3-4 effort in game with a pair of runs. Noah Juliar had a pair of doubles (11), scoring five times as he went 3-10, Will Husemann had a 4-hit day (4-9) including a hard-hit single off the right field wall in game one and a 3-run homer in game two for a 4-RBI day. Kaden Johnson hit a pair of homers in the first game, driving in three and Koby McBroome also had a 3-hit day (3-8).

GAME 1: CSP 12, WSU 4
After Winona State opened Barnes Field with a Gangelhoff Center solo home run in the first inning, senior right handed starter Fritz Meyer settled into a groove. He induced three ground outs in the first inning before retiring the Warriors in order in the second and fourth innings, while inducing inning-ending double plays in the third and fifth innings.

Concordia's lineup provided him with support immediately, with Noah Juliar's RBI double down the left field line scoring Kal Brohmer, who led off with a walk and advanced to second on Bennett McCollow's single.

Concordia's first five batters reached, but it was Charlie Harms in the cleanup spot who did the damage, connecting with a Gangelhoff Center parking lot blast to right center for a 3-run homer and a 4-1 lead. 

Meyer pitched with the 3-run lead into the middle innings when Kaden Johnson added to it with a 1-out solo home run to the opposite field clearing the right field fence. 

In the fifth, Concordia opened it up, with Jack Setterlund drawing a walk with no outs to load the bases for Trett Joles, who powered up with a grand slam to the opposite field right-center gap. A Will Husemann laser single off the extended part of the right field fence set-up Johnson's second homer in as many innings for a 6-run fifth inning and an 11-1 lead.

Meyer would be lifted with one out in the sixth inning after a comebacker single forced him from the contest with 95 pitches. 

Christian Lindow would work out of the 2-on, 1-out situation, getting a strikeout swinging and a strikeout looking to preserve the 10-run lead.

Meyer worked 5.1 innings, allowing just one run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks. He'd pick up the win, improving to 2-3 on the year.

Lindow went the rest of the way for CSP, getting four strikeouts with a 36 percent strikeout rate among his five outs recorded. 

McCollow and Harms each went 3-4, while Joles and Husemann were 2-4, with Johnson and Koby McBroome going 2-3 as CSP had six players with 2-plus hits. Juliar hit his 10th double, with Harms hitting his second homer, Joles his fourth and Johnson's two homers give him four on the season, as well. 

GAME 2: WSU 14, CSP 10 (11)
The second game was marked by Winona State outscoring Concordia 8-0 in the four innings bookending the competition, with WSU scoring a run in the first, three in the second, and fourth in the 10th innings while shutting out Concordia's lineup in the first, second, 10th and 11th innings. 

In the middle seven innings, Concordia outscored the Warriors 10-6.

In the game of major momentum swings, Winona State had the upper hand seemingly throughout, jumping out to a 4-0 lead after two innings. 

In the fourth, Charlie Harms continued to produce runs with his bat, picking up an RBI single to bring home Noah Juliar, who led off the inning with his 11th double of the year. Eric Berg was hit by pitch for the second time in the doubleheader with one out, setting up Will Husemann for a 3-run homer down the right field line, this time clearing the extended part of the fencing to tie the game at 4-4. 

The Warriors countered quickly in the top of the fifth with a 4-run outburst of their own, to reclaim an 8-4 advantage in the middle innings, which held firm until the game reached the late stages.

Golden Bear relief pitchers Liam Bystol and Cooper Mollet combined to provide 6.1 innings out of the bullpen to keep the team in the contest. 

On a day when the Warriors used nine different arms, with two of them combining to get just one out, the length from Bystol and Mollet was an advantage for CSP.

Bystol worked 3.0 innings, allowing three runs, while Mollet pitched 3.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits with a 5-0 SO-BB ratio. Both relievers kept their pitch count under 50 in relief of Reece Piontek, who threw 32 pitches in his third start of the year.

In the eighth inning, trailing 8-4, the Golden Bears loaded the bases with no outs, sending the tying run to the plate with a chance to put up a crooked number on the Warriors. 

Harms once again produced, but this time with his patience instead of his bat, drawing a walk to put the go-ahead run at the plate. Joles followed Harms' lead for back-to-back bases loaded walks, putting the tying run in scoring position and go-ahead run on first. Tomas Lee came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit sacrifice fly for a third run that scored without the benefit of an RBI-hit. Concordia would re-load the bases on a Husemann single with 1-out, but would leave the go-ahead run in scoring position and head to the ninth inning trailing 8-7.

In the top of the ninth, Winona State picked up a pair of insurance runs but CSP late-inning reliever Jack Greenlun was able to strike out the side to limit the damage. 

In the bottom of the ninth, the Golden Bears picked up a 1-out single by Bennett McCollow, but it was sandwiched between a fly out and a fielder's choice to put CSP down to its last out with a runner on first base. 

Harms, with CSP down to its last strike with 2-2 and 3-2 counts, came through in the clutch, keeping the inning going with a single the opposite way down the left field line, and Joles followed with an RBI single. 

Lee, who hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning, came up with runners on first and second with two outs, and would be facing his last strike with an 0-2 count. Lee extended the at bat with four two-strike fouls and a ball before he turned on a 1-2 pitch and laced a double to right field, bringing home Harms from second, with pinch-runner Jack Setterlund scoring on a play at the plate to tie the game. 

Greenlun worked out of a second and third with one situation in the 10th with a strikeout and a line out to first, but the Golden Bears couldn't capitalize on Kal Brohmer's 1-out single through the left side. 

In the 11th, the Warriors capitalized on an error that could have been a double play, and added on a bunt single to load the bases for Cole Fuecker, who hit a go-ahead grand slam. Fuecker had a big day, going 7-10 with three runs and nine RBIs in the doubleheader. In game two, his bat was decisive, going 4-6 with two doubles (12) and the eventual game-winning grand slam (5) for the Warriors. 

Caden Carsen relieved Greenlun, who was tagged with the tough loss despite striking out five of his six outs in 2.0 innings of relief work. Carsen struck out all three of his batters faced on 16 pitches.

In the bottom of the inning, Eli Nelson delivered a line drive single to center with one out, but was left aboard as Husemann put a charge into a fly out to right center, but the ball died on the warning track to end the 3 hour, 46 minute second game. 

Concordia's bullpen recorded 15 strikeouts in 9.1 innings as CSP used five total pitchers while Winona State's nine pitchers combined for nine strikeouts. 

Three Golden Bears had multi-hit performances in game two: Juliar (2-6, 11th 2B, 3 R), Harms (2-5, 2 R, 2 RBIs, BB) and Husemann (2-5, R, 3 RBIs, BB, 5th HR).