LAKE WALES, Fla. – As defending champion of the Warner University Invite, the Concordia University Baseball program aspires to emerge from the 2024 spring break with another trophy. Strong pitching from the likes of Christian Gutierrez and Maverick Wylder were instrumental in helping the Bulldogs grind out a pair of tight victories in Lake Wales, Fla., on Friday (March 8). Concordia won by scores of 6-4 over Siena Heights University (Mich.) and 4-1 over invite host Warner. Scheduled for seven innings, the second game of the day went nine frames.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad has won eight of nine games on its Florida tour and has moved to 16-4 overall as the trip nears a conclusion.
“I’m just really proud of our guys,” Dupic said. “These are the games we didn’t always come out on top of a year ago, and we’re starting to win them on a more consistent basis because we’re defending better and we’re getting better pitching. Our bullpen was really sharp today and we made a lot of plays defensively in big situations. I’m just really pleased with the guys and their ability to battle. Offensively, we just kept chipping away against a good pitcher and found a way to get the job done.”
The first seven innings of the clash with Warner were scoreless as Gutierrez traded zeroes with starting pitching counterpart Cauy Massner. At last, the Bulldogs got on the board when Brad Hallock cracked a solo homer (sixth of the season) off Massner to lead off the eighth. Things then got tense in the bottom half when Carlos Vicente singled home a run and put men on the corners with two outs. Dupic then called upon Wylder, who coaxed a grounder to second to force a ninth inning.
The top of the ninth was eventful as a single by Jay Adams, walk by Alec Blakestad and a hit by pitch by Matt Rhoades loaded the bases. Two runs subsequently came home on a wild pitch and a passed ball. Hallock then came through with another clutch hit as his sharply hit grounder inside the third base line went for an RBI single. Wyler proceeded to fire a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth (two strikeouts) to nail down the win.
Gutierrez covered 7.2 masterful innings. He allowed just one run on five hits and a walk while striking out nine batters. The Waverly, Neb., native Wylder earned the win while continuing to shut down opposing offenses late in games. Wylder has allowed only two hits in eight appearances this season.
Said Dupic of Gutierrez, “He’s been pitching so well. He knows exactly who he is and he just pitches to it each guy. He’s a really tough kid, very in control of himself and he knows how to pitch. He did a really nice job moving the ball around … Maverick’s been terrific. He’s a tough kid and someone we trust with the ball late. He’s been really competitive and has executed well. He’s been a key for us.”
In the first game on Friday, Adams blasted a two-run homer in the third inning, staking Concordia to a 3-1 lead. The advantage grew to 5-1 thanks to Jack Nelson’s two-run double in the third. After the Saints closed within one (5-4) in the fifth, the Bulldogs pushed across an insurance run in the sixth with the aid of an error. Ty Nekoliczak finished that contest with two hits and two runs scored while Joey Grabanski also drove in a run. In the win over Warner, Hallock and Jimmy Blumberg notched two hits apiece.
Wylder wound up with a save versus Siena Heights as he retired the only two batters he faced. Starter Qwin Zabokrtsky went 4.2 innings and picked up the win while allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks to go along with three strikeouts. In between Zabokrtsky and Wylder, Sam Rambajan tossed 1.2 shutout innings. Defensively, Concordia made two errors in 69 chances on the day.
The Bulldogs will wrap up their Florida tour on Friday with the championship game of the Warner Invitational. That contest is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT (4:30 p.m. ET) but could start later pending the games played prior to Concordia. The opponent is to be determined.