Gameday Recap

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. (2/27/07)--The first games of the season are all about working on the fundamentals. When you have them, you can be competitive; when you don't you can give the game away.

That's what happened in Concordia's third game of the season. The Cobbers outhit Hanover (Ind.) 12-7 but left seven men on base, struck out nine times, walked seven batters and committed three costly errors en route to an 8-6 loss to the Panthers.

With the defeat, CC falls to 1-2 on the year. Hanover improves to 3-2.

For the third straight game the Cobbers outhit their opponent. CC has now belted out 31 hits in their first three games of the year. The inability to come up with a big inning has hurt the team so far this season. Concordia has only had one inning, out of 26, where they have scored more than two runs. Also, the Cobbers have been hurt by the opening two innings of play as they have been outscored 6-2 in those frames. Concordia has yet to get out of the first inning without giving up a run.

Offensively, Junior Matt Youngquist keyed the Cobber attack by going 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI's. He is now 6-for-12 on the year and has driven in four of the team's 14 runs on the year.

Three other Cobbers had multiple-hit games against Hanover. Senior center fielder Ryan Emter had his best game of the young season by going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Erick Sykora continues to be one of the offensive surprises of the spring trip. After batting .255 last year, and striking out a team-high 25 times, Sykora is hitting .333 and has yet to go down on strikes. He was 2-for-4 on Tuesday and scored a run. Sophomore catcher Michael Hinde was the fourth player to record at least two hits. He was 2-for-4 and delivered a huge single in the eighth in that scored two runs and brought the Cobbers to within one run at 7-6.

Head Coach Bucky Burgau used three different pitchers in the game. He has now used nine different hurlers in the team's first three games. Sophomore lefthanded pitcher Darrin Carlson started the game and lasted only two innings. He allowed three earned runs and four hits. Matt Venturini replaced Carlson and pitched through the fifth inning. He allowed a pair of eanred runs and only one hit but ended up walking three. Mike Bormann became the fourth freshman to pitch for the Cobbers in Florida. He finished out the game by throwing three innings, allowing only one earned run and two hits but walked four.

Concordia will square off against York College (Pa.) on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 10:30 a.m. (est) on Field No.3 at the Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla.