ST. PAUL, Minn. - Playing games at Barnes Field on campus in March is rare, and Concordia-St. Paul (11-18, 6-11 NSIC) was able to snap an 8-game losing streak with a game two 4-0 shutout win over Winona State (12-15, 7-7 NSIC), who used a 10-run sixth inning for a 20-8 first game win.

The last time Concordia played at home in March was March 30, 2021 in a game against St. Cloud State, and the last year before that was 2017 making this the second time in the last nine years that CSP has hosted games at Barnes Field in March.

Concordia is scheduled to remain at home for a three-game Easter weekend series against Sioux Falls (13-14, 9-5 NSIC) this Friday and Saturday. Poor weather conditions could change game times, dates and locations. News and information about the series will be posted when available, if changes are made.

Freshman left fielder Gus Berger had a big day with a pair of multi-hit games, going 4-7 with four runs, five RBIs, two walks and a home run in each game giving him five on the season. Junior first baseman Charlie Harms was 2-8 with three runs, three RBIs and his second homer of the year. Harms and Berger went back-to-back to break a scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning of game two.

Harms continues to get on base at a consistent and high rate, reaching base safely in all 29 games and leading the team with a .352 average and .461 OBP. Berger leads the team with 19 extra-base hits with 11 doubles, three triples, five home runs and a .649 slugging percentage. 

GAME 1: WSU 20, CSP 8
In the seven-inning opener of the doubleheader, each team scored in five of the seven innings but the Warriors put up a pair of big innings, scoring five in the first to take the early lead before erupting for 10 runs in the sixth inning to blow open a 7-5 game.

Concordia chipped away at the early WSU lead by scoring a pair of runs in the first on a two-run homer by Gus Berger, knocking in Kaden Johnson who led off with a sharp double to left. Four of Concordia's first five reached, but after the homer the Golden Bears left two on base.

Johnson added a home run in the second, his third of the year as he had a homer and a double in the first two innings. Concordia cut it to one, 5-4, in the third inning. CSP had an opportunity for a big inning of its own as Berger, Eric Berg and Max Kaplan reached without a hit with a pair of walks and a HBP. Will Husemann's sacrifice fly with one out scored Berger, but the Golden Bears were only able to push one across.

Junior right handed reliever Caden Carsen calmed the Warrior lineup down with three strong innings in relief. He entered with one out in the first and left with one out in the fourth. In between, he recorded nine outs (3.0 IP), allowing a run during his 70 pitch extended session.

WSU and CSP each scored a run in the fourth as the game was 6-5 heading into the later innings. WSU scored one more for a 7-5 lead in the fifth inning before breaking through with a 10-run sixth inning.

The two teams each scored three times in the seventh, as well.

Johnson went 4-5 with three runs, his seventh double and third homer with one RBI. Harms was 1-4 with a run and two RBIs, and Berger was 2-3 with two runs, four RBIs and two walks.

Tyus Smith took the loss for CSP, falling to 0-2. 

Carson Jones was the winning pitcher for WSU, pitching 1.2 innings in the middle innings allowing just one unearned run on one hit and a walk. Boyd Skelley worked the final three frames for the save with CSP tagging him for three runs (two earned) on six hits. 

Ethan Patterson was 3-3 with two doubles, a walk, two runs and four RBIs, Jack Funke was 2-3 with his third home run of the year and three RBIs and Garrett Hietpas was 4-5 with a pair of RBIs. The 5-8 pocked of WSU's lineup combined to go 13-18 with seven runs, 12 RBIs and three walks, producing a bulk of the Warrior offensive output.

GAME 2: CSP 4, WSU 0
Following a 28-run game with 28 combined hits, seven extra-base hits, 16 walks and six HBP, the obvious conclusion to the doubleheader was a three-hit shutout for the home team who just allowed 20 runs in the first game.

In game two, CSP and WSU combined for four runs, eight hits, two extra-base hits, eight walks and two HBP. 

Freshman Evan Newlander was the stopper for CSP's pitching staff. He worked five shutout innings, allowing two hits with six strikeouts and four walks. 

He turned over a scoreless tie to the bullpen with junior Cole Newell retiring eight of the nine batters he faced without allowing a hit or walk and striking out three. Newell's day ended after landing awkwardly following a first-pitch strike to Dylan Harer with two outs in the eighth inning. He placed 30 of his 46 pitches for strikes on the day and would secure the relief win to improve to 2-0.

Concordia gave Newell the run support in the bottom of the sixth inning when Charlie Harms and Gus Berger led off with back-to-back homers to right field. The duo would also reach base to start the eighth inning as Harms legged out a dropped third strike and Berger followed by beating the shift with a sharp single to the left side fo second base into centerfield.

They moved to second and third on a failed pickoff throwing error, and scored on Eric Berg's RBI single down the left field line for a 4-0 lead. 

Justin Benjamin replaced Newell and retired Harer to end the top of the eighth, and worked around a pair of leadoff baserunners, stranding runners on first and third to end the game for his fourth save. 

Harms went 1-4 with two runs and the RBI from the solo shot, Berger was 2-4 with two runs and the RBI from his solo homer and Berg was 1-3 with a pair of RBIs as the 2-3-4 pocket in CSP's lineup produced all four runs. Nick Carlson added a pair of walks out of the ninth spot, giving him 27 on the season. 

Max Strecker was charged with the loss for Winona State, falling to 1-1. He went 2.0 innings with five strikeouts but surrendered the back-to-back homers in the sixth. Wesley Johnson started and went three scoreless, allowing a hit and a walk with three strikeouts.