Alstott adds three more extra base hits in defeats at Dakota Wesleyan
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Concordia University baseball team came up empty in its trip north for four weekend games within the conference. On Sunday afternoon host Dakota Wesleyan handed the Bulldogs losses by scores of 3-2 and 14-4 in Mitchell, S.D.
Now 2-6 in GPAC road games, first-year head coach Ryan Dupic’s squad fell to 21-14 overall and 4-8 in conference play.
On the bright side, junior center fielder Alex Alstott continues to rack up extra base hits. For the second-straight game, the Fort Dodge, Iowa, native led off the top of the first with a home run, putting the Bulldogs on top in game 1. Alstott went 4-for-6 on the day with a homer and a double while extending his school single-season record triple total to 12.
Alstott has recorded nine multi-hit games over his last 18 contests. During that stretch he has gone 27-for-62 (.435) with four doubles, seven triples and three home runs.
“Alex Alstott played really well,” Dupic said. “The first game was pretty clean. They just had more quality at bats with runners in scoring position. They outplayed us in every facet in the second game.”
Concordia dropped a one-run decision in game 1 despite a quality start from freshman lefty Taylor Bickel (4-2). The native of Surprise, Ariz., covered all six innings, allowing three runs (all earned) on eight hits. He struck out six. Bickel surrendered the go-ahead RBI double to Hartman Katz in the bottom of the fourth for the game’s final tally.
Alstott and company never led in game 2. The Tigers (14-18, 4-8 GPAC) pounded out 15 hits and put up at least one run in each of the final six innings of the seven-inning, run-rule shortened affair. Right fielder Jared Neilan cracked a bases-clearing triple and a two-run single as part of his 3-for-6, six-RBI performance in game 2.
Alstott drove in three of Concordia’s six runs on the day. Left fielder Cole Stuerke knocked in two runs with a pair of RBI singles in the second contest. In addition, second baseman Alex Cargin and catcher Ryan Fesmire both went 2-for-3 in game 1.
Freshman lefty Cade Moring started game 2 for the Bulldogs. Dupic then used two relievers. All three Concordia hurlers allowed three earned runs or more.
In Saturday’s weekend-opening twin bill, the Bulldogs were swept by first-place Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa. Concordia had entered Saturday with splits in each of its first four GPAC doubleheaders.
The Bulldogs will dip outside of conference play for the final time this regular season when they host York College (27-14) at Plum Creek Park on Tuesday. The single nine-inning game is set to get underway at 5 p.m.