Gameday Game Recap

ST. PAUL, Minn.-- Concordia was one pitch away from sweeping Macalester and evening their MIAC record at 4-4 and establishing themselves in the thick of the MIAC playoff race. Unfortunately, one pitch in the second game of their doubleheader with the Scots landed over the right field fence and sent them to a 5-4 loss after taking the first game 10-1.

Concordia is now 3-5 in the MIAC after having split their third conference series in the first four attempts. The Cobbers are now 9-11 overall. Macalester also moves to 3-5 on the season but sees their overall record even at 9-9-1.

The story of the first game for the Cobbers was starting pitcher Adam Padrnos. After not pitching an inning at the varsity level in his first three years at Concordia, Padrnos has captured the spirit of Jeremy Hinderks and turned into one of the top Cobber pitchers in 2006. Padrnos entered the game with a 3.00 ERA and having given up only 10 hits while striking out 10 in 15 innings of work. On Tuesday he tossed his first collegiate complete game and limited the Scots to only one run on five hits as the Cobbers cruised to a 10-1 victory.

Padrnos shutout Macalester for the first six innings and only allowed a single run in the seventh inning after giving up a lone double in the inning. In the end, he struck out three and only allowed a pair of extra-base hits.

Offensively, Concordia was led by junior center fielder Ryan Emter and freshman catcher Kyle Johnson. Both players had three hits in the game and both scored a pair of runs. Emter was a home run shy of the cycle as he hit a single, double and triple in the game. Johnson broke the game wide open in the fifth inning with his first collegiate home run. He knocked a pitch down the left field line to give Concordia a commanding 7-0 lead in the top of the fifth.

First baseman Scott Halupczok was the third Cobber batter to record a multiple-hit game in the opener as Concordia outhit the Scots 12-5. Chris Klabo had the other big hit for the Cobbers. He went 1-for-1 in the game but gave Concordia a 3-0 lead in the third inning when he connected on his team-leading third home run of the season.

The second game was much tighter than the first as the Cobbers appeared to use up all their hits in the opener. Macalester took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second before Concordia tied the game on a Billy DeNet home run in the top of the fifth inning.

Cobber starter Tieg Herman settled down after allowing two runs in the second. He cruised through the middle innings, retiring eight straight at one point. He got into trouble in the fifth inning after hitting the second batter he faced after getting the leadoff hitter to strike out. The next batter reached on a single on the very next pitch and then Allen Combs hit a three-run home run that gave Macalester a 5-2 lead.

Concordia scratched back for single runs in the sixth and seventh innings but was never able to break through with the big inning. In the seventh, the Cobbers had runners on first and second with only one out and trailing 5-4 but were never able to get a hit to plate the game-tying run.

DeNet was the main offensive weapon in the nightcap for Concordia. He went 2-for-3, scored two runs and had a pair of RBI's off of his fifth-inning home run. The Cobbers were only able to touch up Macalester pitching for four hits in the game.

Herman went the first 5.0 innings and allowed five earned runs while allowing six hits and striking out five. Freshman Matt Venturini pitched a scoreless sixth inning after relieving Herman after a leadoff single. Venturini made a stellar defensive play to start a 1-6-3 twin killing on the first batter he faced.

Cobber center fielder Ryan Emter made five putouts on the day and has now played in 36 consecutive games without making an error.

Concordia will play a non-conference series at Valley City State on Thursday, Apr. 13 at 2:30pm before returning home to face St. Olaf on Saturday, Apr. 15 at 1:00pm.