LAKELAND, Fla. – If nothing else, the 21st-ranked Concordia University, Nebraska Baseball team knew it would learn something about where it stands against some of the best competition in the NAIA. The Bulldogs opened a four-game series at No. 3 Southeastern University on Friday (March 7) and fell twice, 15-6 and 4-1, in Lakeland, Fla. The highlights for the Bulldogs included a home run apiece for Jaidan Quinn and Brad Hallock and an eight-strikeout performance from pitcher Alex Johnson.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s squad will play the Fire twice more on Saturday to complete the series. Concordia stands at 8-5 overall with five games remaining on the Florida slate.
“They really challenge you. They have great pitching,” Dupic said of Southeastern. “I thought our guys did a good job. Their first guy hadn’t given up a run this year. We were able to battle him and have some good at-bats. We had an inning get away from us there where we just didn’t make a couple plays. Our guys did a good job coming back, but it’s hard when you fall into a hole like that against them.
“Second game was a really good ballgame – a good pitcher’s duel. Alex threw a really good game. They put good swings on a couple of pitches.”
As an example of Quinn’s hitting prowess, his three-run homer in game one came off Reece Wissinger, who entered the game without having allowed a single run in 28 innings. Unfortunately, that blast came after the Bulldogs had dug a 10-0 hole. Southeastern put up three runs in the third and seven in the fourth. Concordia managed to get back within 10-6 as Tanner Tompkins doubled in a run and later singled in another. However, the Fire (20-0) put it out of reach with two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth.
In game two, Dupic unleashed Johnson for more than 100 pitches. The Kansas City area native covered 5.2 innings and contained the powerful Southeastern lineup, limiting it to four runs (three earned) on six hits and four walks. Three of the four Fire runs came courtesy of two long balls (Charlie Collins and Myles White). Maverick Wylder relieved Johnson and recorded the final out in the bottom of the sixth.
The Bulldogs’ broke up lefty pitcher Aaron Robertson’s shutout in the seventh when Hallock drilled a solo shot to center. Hallock (4-for-8 on the day) and catcher Michael Welch both went 2-for-3 in game two. Quinn added a double as part of a 2-for-3, three-RBI effort in game one. The homer for Quinn marked the 78th of his career (fifth of the season). The Concordia lineup posted a combined 14 hits on the day, though it went down on strikes 27 times.
Four different pitchers helped navigate game one on Friday: Jake Nelms (2.1 IP), Sam Rambajan (0.2 IP), Ben Laird (4 IP) and Ernie Snyder (1 IP). As they found out, there are few holes in the Fire lineup. On the other side of things, the Bulldogs showed they could put together competitive at-bats against one of the NAIA’s best pitching staffs.
Said Dupic, “We had some really good swings and good plans (at the plate). I thought our hitters did a terrific job of that in the first game. Second game, their guy threw the ball really well. That happens sometimes. We’ll stay with it and see if we can go get them tomorrow.”
The Bulldogs and Fire will meet up again on Saturday for a doubleheader scheduled for an 11 a.m. CT / 12 p.m. ET first pitch. After completing the series in Lakeland, Concordia will make its way to Winter Haven for one game on Sunday and two on Monday as part of the RussMatt Invitational. In total, the Bulldogs will play seven games in four days.