VIDEO:
-Jaidan Quinn slugs two homers
-Ernie Snyder strikes out six of nine hitters faced
SEWARD, Neb. – The weather held up and the Concordia University Baseball team used a workmanlike performance on Friday (May 5) to defeat Midland, 9-4, as part of GPAC tournament pod play. The Bulldogs have moved to 2-0 within their own bracket and are within one win of a return to the GPAC tournament championship game. In the latest action, Concordia was propped up by a pair of home runs from Jaidan Quinn and an utterly dominant relief outing by Ernie Snyder.
Head Coach Ryan Dupic’s program is on the hunt for a third GPAC tournament championship in a row. The Bulldogs are now 37-15 overall and have gone 16-2 when playing at Plum Creek Park in 2023.
“Everyone’s going to compete this time of year,” Dupic said. “They did a nice job putting some pressure on us with three runs in the second, but we were able to come back and get a big inning after that. That was a big deal. That gave us a little bit of breathing room – the guys responded really well.”
Two key specific sequences shaped the outcome of Friday’s game. The first of those occurrences came in the top of the third. After Midland took a 3-1 lead, Concordia responded appropriately. Quinn rocked a two-run homer on a 3-0 pitch to knot the score, 3-3. Then with two outs, Alec Blakestad singled in the go-ahead run. Two batters later, Teyt Johnson’s line drive single to center cleared the bases with the help of a misplay in the outfield.
Quinn’s RBI double in the sixth pushed the lead to 8-3, seemingly giving the Bulldogs full control. However, the Warriors (22-28) made a push with an Alex Villanueva solo homer in the sixth and by putting the first two hitters on base in the seventh. That’s when Ernie Snyder rose to the occasion. The freshman from San Diego had the good stuff working. He retired all nine hitters he faced, including six via the strikeout. Snyder struck out the side in the ninth while snuffing out any potential drama.
By game’s end, Quinn surpassed Joey Grabanski as the program’s single-season home run king with 25 long balls in 25. Grabanski’s total remained at 24 as he had two long fly balls that were caught by Midland outfielders at the wall. Both drives seemingly would have been home runs if not for the two impressive plays by the Warriors. Grabanski did manage to double and score a run while playing first base (instead of his usual left field). In addition, red hot catcher Ben Berg went 2-for-4 with his 10th homer of the season while Jesse Garcia added two base hits.
On the mound, Frankie Cresta made his 13th start of the season and went six solid innings. Cresta shook off a bout of wildness (two walks and three hit batters for the game) and limited the damage to four runs (two earned) on four hits. Cresta fanned five hitters while picking up his sixth win of the season. Jacob Lycan then appeared briefly in the seventh before being lifted for Snyder. Bulldog hurlers worked with a bit different defensive alignment as Ty Nekoliczak manned left field with Grabanski moving to first (Garcia slotted into the DH role).
For Snyder, this was the best outing of his young career. Said Dupic, “He was great. He’s been really good for us since we got back from Florida. He kind of got his feet wet early in the year. He’s really done a nice job and been very consistent. There are so many games (in the postseason) and you’re playing nine innings every game, so somebody’s got to step up. He and Frankie both did a really good job today.”
Midland was held to five hits for the contest. Starting pitcher Lucas Hmazeh took the loss while surrendering six earned runs in three innings. Xavior Salazar worked the final six innings and gave up only one earned run against the GPAC’s top offense. Later in the evening, the Warriors let a 6-1 lead slip away and were eliminated by Morningside, 9-6.
The updated Concordia Bracket with Friday’s results can be viewed below. In the finals of the bracket, the Bulldogs will meet up with Morningside (36-15) at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Should the Mustangs win that contest, it would force a winner-take-all if necessary battle for the opportunity to play in the GPAC tournament championship game this coming Tuesday (May 9).
2023 GPAC Tournament – Concordia Bracket
--Full Bracket
May 4-6 | Plum Creek Park (Seward, Neb.)
Thursday, May 4
Game 1 – (6) Midland def. (3) Morningside, 10-9 (11 innings)
Game 2 – (2) Concordia def. (7) Northwestern, 7-4
Friday, May 5
Game 3 – (2) Concordia def. (6) Midland, 9-4
Game 4 – (3) Morningside def. (7) Northwestern, 5-4
Game 5 – (3) Morningside def. (6) Midland, 9-6
Saturday, May 6
Game 6 – (2) Concordia vs. (3) Morningside, 12 p.m.
Game 7 – Game 6 Winner vs. Game 6 Loser, 3 p.m. (if necessary)