PORTLAND, Ore.—Stepping out of conference, the Concordia baseball team pounded Saint Martin’s University 12-5 on Tuesday.

Concordia (12-8) got the win thanks to its offense that produced 14 hits in the game, seven of which were either doubles or triples.

The middle of the order led the power surge for the Cavs early, as Mike Cero, Jared Young and Ryan Rodriguez—the No. 5, 6 and 7 hitters respectively—went a combined 7-for-9 with five runs scored and seven runs batted in through the first five innings. In addition, all three hit a triple in the game, while Young and Rodriguez also hit a double.

The assault began with a four-run second inning that put the Cavs in control early. Carl Beckert got hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, then stole second during the next at bat. After that, Cero laid down a bunt single to get on before Young hit a double to right center that scored both Cero and Beckert. Rodriguez followed with the first triple of the game to score Young, then came home himself off a single up the middle from Calvin Nagy.

The Cavs added a run in the third off a triple from Cero that scored Sean Myrom, then tacked on three more behind another rally from the middle of their lineup in the fifth. Beckert started the onslaught once again, walking with one out before stealing second, just like he did in the second. Then, as if a mirror of the second inning, Cero singled to get on, while Young followed with a triple that scored both Cero and Beckert. Finally, Rodriguez capped the rally with a double down the left-field line that scored Young.

Now with the Cavs up 8-0, both teams began substituting liberally. Saint Martin’s used eight different pitchers in the game, while the Cavs used six.

SMU (7-15) got their first run in the game in the seventh inning, but the Cavs answered right back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Blake Drake came through for the team this time, plating all three runs in the inning with a two-out double to left.

With that, the Cavs extended their lead to 11-1 and, despite a four-run top of the eighth for SMU, closed out the victory comfortably.

Overall, Cero finished the day 3-for-3 with two runs and an RBI, while Young finished 2-for-4, with two runs scored and four RBI. Besides them, Nathan Douglas went 2-for-2 with a run scored, while Douglas also added the fourth CU double in the game with a shot to right center in the seventh.

On the mound, no CU pitcher gave up more than two hits, while the team only allowed five walks. Eric Weir picked up the win for the Cavs after he pitched three innings of relief after coming in for CU starter Mitch Ludtke in the top of the second.

On the flip side, SMU starter Josh Moss received the loss, giving up four runs on four hits through 1.1 innings of work. 

Next up, Concordia hosts a four-game, conference series against Corban. The series will follow the schedule of the previous two series for the Cavs, with a game Friday, a doubleheader Saturday and a final game Sunday. The game Friday, March 16 will begin at 6 p.m.