MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - Powered by leadoff hitter and starting pitcher Jake Schmidt (Sr., Oakdale, Minn.), the Concordia University baseball team (7-2) picked up a 7-1 first game win over Grand View (IA) University (2-6) before the Vikings took game two 5-3 on Tuesday afternoon at the Metrodome. Schmidt went 3-4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI in the first game while throwing a complete game with 11 strikeouts to improve to 3-0 on the season as he retired the final 13 hitters in the game. Game 1 Box - Game 2 Box
Game 1: CU 7, Grand View 1
With his first strikeout of the game in the first inning, Schmidt reached the 200 strikeout mark and finished the day with 210 in his career, moving into second on the career strikeout list as he surpassed Scott Hollingsworth (1995-99) who has 206. He is now 34 strikeouts shy of equaling the career record of 244 held by Dave Johnson (1995-98).
Schmidt started hot at the plate, clubbing a ground rule double to left center before scoring on the next at bat when senior catcher Chris Herbert (White Bear Lake, Minn.) continued his hot swinging with an RBI double down the field line. Herbert drove in his 17th run of the season but would not register a hit for the rest of the afternoon.
On the hill, Schmidt ran into trouble early, allowing at least two runners in each of the first three innings. Grand View finally scored on him in the third but Schmidt pitched out of the jam stranding two Vikings on base.
He wasn't touched the rest of the way as no GVU batter reached in the final four innings with Schmidt striking out five of his 11 batters during the scoreless stretch.
In the second, Concordia plated three runs as junior second baseman Chase Brown (Mankato, Minn.) delivered an RBI single to center before Schmidt hit his second ground rule double of the game driving in two runs following the Brown RBI.
While that was all the run support Schmidt would need from his team and his own bat, Concordia received another run in the third when freshman left fielder Logan Bouts (Hopkins, Minn.) produced an RBI single giving CU a 5-1 lead.
In the sixth, Schmidt went back to work at the plate, parking a two run homer down the left field line halfway up the left field seats in the Metrodome on a blast that traveled at least 400 feet. It was Schmidt's first official home run of the season while he also homered in the second U-Mary game that is yet to be completed.
While Schmidt was scorching at the plate, Brown added a 2-3 performance, scoring twice and driving in a run adding his fifth stolen base while no other Concordia player had a multi-hit, multi-RBI or multi-run performance.
Game 2: Grand View 5, CU 3
Grand View started hot at the plate as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first two innings against senior right hander Chris Kimpton (Canberra, Aus.). Kimpton hadn't pitched since the first game against U-Mary back on Feb. 6, nearly a month without live-game action.
He settled down after the first two innings, however, throwing scoreless frames in each of the next three innings while striking out a pair of batters in each of the fourth and fifth innings. He finished the day pitching five innings allowing as many runs on nine hits. He struck out six and walked one on the day. He falls to 1-1 on the season.
While GVU put Concordia in a five run hole after two innings, CU would come back. Bouts delivered a sacrifice fly bringing home freshman shortstop Bryan Lippincott (Des Moines, Iowa) who led off the inning with a double in the fourth inning.
Schmidt led off the fifth with a bunt single down the third base line but was stranded on second as the next three hitters were retired consecutively.
In the sixth, Lippincott again led off with a hit to left field on a rocket grounder that shot past the GVU third baseman. Lippincott moved up to third when sophomore left fielder Steven King (Johnston, Iowa) hustled into a double to left center with one out. Sophomore centerfielder Jon Stockton (Oakdale, Minn.) followed with an RBI single moving King to third with Brown delivering a sacrifice fly.
The result was a two-run inning that brought the deficit back to two runs, 5-3, with three outs to play.
In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore right hander Nick Anderson (Plymouth, Minn.) retired the Vikings in order to give Concordia a chance in the top of the seventh.
Concordia first two hitters in the inning struck out before Froehlich walked with two outs. He advanced to second on a wild pitch but Lippincott grounded out to third to end the threat and the three game winning streak for CU.
Concordia returns to the Metrodome this Thursday morning at 7:45 a.m. where they will take on another NAIA opponent when Mayville State will open their season. Concordia is undefeated against teams in their season opening doubleheaders, already sweeping Northern State and St. John's while they are pending a sweep against U-Mary for a current 5-0 record against teams opening the season.
Concordia is projected to start freshman Ben Lemke (1-0, 1.12) and senior Aaron Pfalzgraff (0-0, 0.00) against Mayville. Pfalzgraff last pitched against U-Mary in game two on Feb. 6, working 4.1 innings allowing three earned runs. He is the pitcher of record when CU finishes the contest against the Marauders. Lemke will make his first career start on the mound, winning in 4.1 innings of no-hit relief against SJU last week. He made his first career start at first base in the first game today.
Entering Thursday's contests, Concordia head coach Mark "Lunch" McKenzie is two wins shy of 200 for his career, seeking to become the first baseball coach in the program's history to reach the mark. Lunch is CU's longest current tenured head coach in the athletic department.
