CU's Jason Snodgrass picked up the win in a relief appearance on Saturday.
Cavs Top George Fox in Tight 13-11 Battle
STATS - Concordia vs. George Fox
LEWISTON, Idaho.—In a back-and-forth battle, the Concordia baseball team edged George Fox 13-11 at the Lewis-Clark State Tournament on Saturday.
Concordia (2-3) and George Fox (0-2) traded the lead four times in the last three and a half innings of the game, while they opened up what had been a tight pitchers' duel with 18 combined runs since the middle of the sixth.
Down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the George Fox Bruins started the scoring onslaught with four runs in the bottom frame.
That put the Bruins up 6-4, but the Cavs immediately answered with three runs in the top of the seventh. The Cavs started the rally early in the inning after Sean Myrom and Sheldon Austria drew back to back walks to put runners on first and second with no outs. Mike Cero then followed with a clutch double down the left field line that brought in Tanner Larson who came in to pinch run for Myrom. After that, C.J. Watson plated Cero and Austria with a one-out single to right field.
The madness continued, though, in the bottom of the seventh, as the Bruins scored another four runs to go back up 10-7. The Bruins' first five batters reached base safely, leading to the big inning.
Still, the Cavs provided the biggest fireworks of the game in the top of the eighth, coming back to take the lead again for the second straight inning. Three of the Cavs' first six batters doubled, while the team scored four of their five runs before their second out in the inning. The Concordia defense then came through with a three up, three down inning in the bottom half of the eighth.
Concordia tacked on another run in the ninth to go up 13-10, then had to hold off one final Bruins threat in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory. George Fox opened the inning well, scoring a run off a Derek Dixon double that put runners on second and third with no outs. However, despite having the tying runner in scoring position, CU freshman Jason Snodgrass calmly struck out the next two batters, then got the final Bruins batter to fly out to centerfield.
Earlier, Concordia first took advantage in the game with four runs spread over the second, third and fourth innings.
Overall, the Cavs produced easily their best offensive performance of the young season with 16 total hits, including five doubles from five different Cavaliers.
Individually, Cero led the offense, going 3-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Besides Cero, Ben Talbot went 2-fo-3 with two RBIs, while Jordan Keeker went 2-for-4 with two runs.
On the mound, Snodgrass got the win for the Cavs, while Connor Harris received the loss.
Next up, the Cavs will play George Fox again in the consolation game at the Lewis-Clark State Tournament tomorrow, Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. Unlike the game on Saturday, though, the Cavs will play as the home team, having beaten the Bruins already.