FORT SCOTT, Kan. – The Concordia University Baseball team scored early and scored often on Sunday (Feb. 26) while completing a four-game weekend sweep of Culver-Stockton College (Mo.). The 21st-ranked Bulldogs won the latest matchups by scores of 16-8 and 16-2 in action at LaRoche Baseball Complex in Fort Scott, Kan. Jaidan Quinn helped fuel the onslaught this time around by leaving the yard three times on the day.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has won seven-straight games to move to 7-4 overall this season. Concordia won Saturday’s contests with the Wildcats by scores of 5-4 and 16-5.
“We’re trying to learn more about our team as we go,” Dupic said. “With each weekend we’re learning a little bit more. One of the things we felt would be a strength is our offensive lineup. The more at bats they’re getting, they’re getting more comfortable and getting into a rhythm. As the weekend goes on, we should be a pretty tough team and have a chance to do some really good things offensively. Everyone’s pitching kind of dwindles a bit as the weekend goes on. We have to keep pushing and being better on the front end. If we do that, we have a chance to have a really nice team.”
The Bulldogs actually did not score in the first inning of either game on Sunday, but they quickly ratcheted things up with crooked numbers all over the scoreboard. The floodgates opened in the second inning of Sunday’s first contest when Tanner Tompkins doubled in a run and Michael Buckendahl followed with a two-run blast. Later on, Alec Blakestad cracked a three-run homer in the third and Quinn drove a two-run shot to right in the sixth. At that point, Concordia had built a 13-1 cushion in setting the tone for the day.
The school’s record holder for homers in a single season, Quinn wasn’t done yet. The native of Bonner Springs, Kan., belted a two-run homer in the fourth and a solo shot in the seventh inning of game two. He wound up going 5-for-10 with six RBIs for the day. As a team, the Bulldogs wore out the basepaths with 32 hits (including nine doubles and five homers) and six walks. Four Concordia players had multiple hits in game one and another six had multiple hits in game two (as shown below).
Multiple hits, game 1:
· Joey Grabanski: 3-for-5, two runs, two RBIs
· Michael Buckendahl: 2-for-4, one run, one double, one homer, two RBIs
· Jaidan Quinn: 2-for-5, three runs, one double, one homer, two RBIs
· Jay Adams: 2-for-5, two runs, one double, one RBI
Multiple hits, game 2:
· Alec Blakestad: 3-for-4, four runs, one RBI
· Ty Nekoliczak: 3-for-5, one run, one double, three RBIs
· Jaidan Quinn: 3-for-5, three runs, two homers, four RBIs
· Joey Grabanski: 2-for-3, one run, two walks
· Michael Welch: 2-for-4, two RBIs
· Jesse Garcia: 2-for-4, one run, one walk, one double, two RBIs
The starting pitching was also solid for the Bulldogs, who trotted out Frankie Cresta in Sunday’s first game and Caden Johnson for game two. The Johnston, Iowa, native Cresta covered 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out seven. The last four outs were recorded by a combination of Shea Prahl (0.1 innings) and Ernie Snyder (1.1 innings). In game two, the Papillion, Neb., native Johnson worked four innings and surrendered two runs on four hits and three walks while notching four strikeouts. Bullpen arms in Qwin Zabokrtsky, Caden Bugarske and Jacob Lycan polished the game off with a combined three scoreless innings.
Said Dupic, “I was pleased with both starters. Frankie did a really nice job. He walked the first two hitters of the game but he was able to limit the damage after that and found a rhythm. That’s two good starts in a row for him. I thought Caden Johnson did a really good job competing today. He took another step forward. He gave up a couple runs in the first and then settled in. We had a lot of guys out of the bullpen that I wanted to see today. It’s good to see those guys respond. We’re going to need everybody for sure.”
The next time the Bulldogs take the field they will be in sunny Florida as part of a week-long spring break journey. A three-game series at No. 25 Keiser University will get started with an 11 a.m. ET doubleheader in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday, March 4. Concordia will be in action in The Sunshine State all the way through March 11.