Gameday Game Recap

(recap by Mike Larson - Concordia SID assistant)

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.-- On the last day at the Port Charlotte Invitational Concordia took on Mount Union College in a double header, coming away with a

last-inning loss and a comeback win.  Concordia finishes their spring trip with an even 5-5 record, a half-game improvement on last year’s 4-5 trip. 

In the first game, the Cobbers got two hits a piece from the trio of Chris Klabo, Scott Halupczok, and Erick Sykora but it wasn’t enough as Mount Union was able to pull away with the 7-6 win. 

Concordia got off to a early-game lead by scoring four runs in the top of the second inning on the strength of a two-run double by Sykora, an RBI groundout by Billy DeNet and an RBI single by Klabo. 

The Cobber lead was short lived as Tieg Herman had an inning that left many opponents saying ouch all the way around the bases.  After hitting one batter in the first inning, Tieg hit four Mount Union batters in the second inning, along with two walks and a wild pitch.  Herman’s loss of control cost Concordia control of the game and put Mount Union up 5-4.  Mount Union’s five runs came with only one hit. 

Herman settled down and allowed only one more run, finishing the game with five innings pitched, five hit batters, six runs (all earned), two walks, one wild pitch and six hits allowed. 

The Cobbers came back and tied the game in the top of the sixth when Sykora’s single to right scored Kyle Johnson and Scott Halupczok. 

Matt Venturini put himslef in trouble right away in the bottom of the seventh as he walked the leadoff hitter and let him advance to third after a bunt and a wild pitch.  With runners on first and third Venturini gave up a ground ball single for the

game-winner.  The ball was close to ending up as a inning-ending double play, but it was hit just out of the reach of Denet at shortstop.

The sounds of the second game played to a familiar tune.  Concordia starting pitcher Zach Johnson was hit early and often.  Johnson walked the leadoff hitter then gave up four hits to the next six batters, hitting one of the others with a pitch.  Johnson was given the hook after one-third of an inning.  Adam Padrnos relieved Johnson and was lights-out.  The first batter hit into an inning-ending double play to keep the damage limited to four runs.  Padrnos went on to pitch four more scoreless innings, finishing the day with 4.2 innings pitched, zero runs, five strikeouts, two hits, and no walks.  The first batter to reach on Padrnos was quickly picked off first by a great throw. 

With Padrnos controlling the Mount Union offense, the Cobbers chipped away at the four-run deficit.  Neil Manthe led the Concordia offense going three-for-three on the day, finishing only a triple away from the cycle.  Manthe’s two-run double in the bottom of the second cut the lead in half, and then in the fourth, launched a two-run home run into the alligator-filled swamp on the other side of the left field fence to tie the game.  As a fitting conclusion, Manthe led off the sixth inning with a single and scored the game winning run on DeNet’s double. 

Anthony Stern pitched the sixth and seventh innings and picked up right where Padrnos left off.  Stern allowed only one hit and walked none pitching two shutout innings and earning the first win of his college career.  Stern’s win didn’t come cheap as he struck-out Mount Union five-hitter Paul Namey who had been ripping Cobber pitching all day and Stern also retired Mount Union’s two and three-hitters to end the game. 

Chris Klabo’s hitting streak was extended to six games in the first game, but he went hitless in the second game to end the streak.