Day two of Arizona swing brings two more setbacks

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Concordia University baseball team suffered two more losses on Sunday evening as the Tucson Invitational continued in Arizona. The University of Jamestown defeated the Bulldogs by scores of 4-2 and 11-4 to put Concordia at 0-4 on its spring break trip.

A day after putting up 12 runs on 24 hits over two one-run losses, the Bulldog batsmen totaled only six runs against the Jimmie pitching staff on Sunday.

“We are not clicking as a team right now and therefore were not able to win,” head coach Jeremy Geidel said. “We need to get better and play more consistently. Spring break allows us a chance to see different things and give guys opportunities.”

Individually, Concordia first baseman Zach Cambier had an impressive 5-for-6 performance that included three doubles and four runs on the day. Cambier simply took the torch from right fielder Daniel Wilkerson, who went 7-for-9 on Saturday.

Game one marked a third-straight narrow defeat in Arizona (two one-run losses on Saturday). Lefty freshman Josh Prater tossed five innings of three-run ball in taking the loss a game Jimmies team that entered the day with a 1-2 record.

Jamestown broke up game two by putting four runs on the board in the fourth and then five more in the sixth. The insurance runs deflated a Bulldog team that chipped a run off its deficit in the top of the sixth to make it 6-3 (Andrew Yerrell RBI single). Concordia added a run in the seventh and final inning, but it was not nearly enough down eight runs.

The Bulldogs will be back in action in The Grand Canyon State on Tuesday when they take on both Missouri Valley College (8:30 a.m. MT) and Dakota State University (2 p.m. MT). Concordia will play a total of 10 games over eight days in Tucson.

The Tucson Invitational is a homecoming for senior center fielder Camaren Gause and junior pitcher Will Holbrook, who started Saturday’s game one.