PORTLAND, Ore.—With neither team able to convert base runners into runs, the Concordia baseball team did just enough to eek out a 1-0 over Patten University on Friday, the conference opener for both teams.

All told, Concordia (7-4, 1-0 NAIA West) and Patten (3-8, 0-1 NAIA West) combined to strand 26 base runners in the game, while each side loaded the bases without scoring once.

All that becomes secondary for the Cavs, though, as they pulled out the win after scoring the lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Sean Myrom started the rally in the seventh, recording a four-pitch, one out walk before Cameron Baker came into run for him at first. Jared Young and Mike Cero loaded the bases after that with a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively. The pressure then fell on Sheldon Austria, who sent a flare out to right field that forced Patten right fielder Donny Hogan to dive for the ball. While Hogan completed the athletic grab, the dive afforded Baker enough time to come home on the sacrifice, giving the Cavs the lead at 1-0.

Concordia would not have been in position to take the lead in the bottom of the seventh, though, without having escaped a Patten threat in the top of the inning. In a mirror of the Cavs’ threat in the bottom half, Patten loaded the bases with three straight walks and only one out. However, Larsen Kohler came on in relief for the Cavs and got Hogan to hit a slow grounder between the mound and the third base line during the next at bat. Still, with all the Lions running on contact, Kohler had to hustle over to the ball in order to make a play on the Lions’ lead runner at home. Fortunately, Kohler flicked the ball to CU catcher Ben Talbot from his knees, while Talbot stamped out Patten’s Sean Rogers despite being slid into on the play. Kohler then came right back and struck out the Patten’s next batter to end the inning. 

Concordia got out of another sticky inning in the fifth when Rogers and Tyler Provost reached second and third for Patten with only one out. However, CU starter Mitch Ludtke induced a grounder to Myrom for the second out, then got the next Patten batter to ground out as well. The second grounder took a high bounce and looked as if it would find a hole in the infield after grazing the top of Ludtke’s glove. Second baseman Mike Dickman charged up behind Ludtke, though, fielding the chopper and sending the ball to Myrom for the final out.

In the end, nine of the Lions’ 12 stranded base runners were left in scoring position, as CU’s pitchers and defense stepped up when needed to preserve the shutout.

Overall, Ludtke and Kohler combined for the shutout, the team’s first this season. Ludtke pitched the first six-and-a-third, striking out seven, while giving up six walks and five hits. Ludtke also pitched in the Cavs’ last shutout, throwing all seven innings of a 1-0 win over Corban last season on April 29, 2011. Kohler, meanwhile, pitched the final two-and-two-thirds Friday, striking out four, while giving up only one hit.

On the flip side, Patten starter Isaac Duran pitched seven full innings, striking out nine, while only giving up the one run.

On offense, Austria finished 2-for-3 to go with the lone RBI of the game, while Carl Beckert went 2-for-4 with two doubles.

Concordia and Patten will return to action tomorrow, March 3, as the Cavs host a doubleheader against the Lions with first pitch set for 1 p.m. The games will be part of the grand opening festivities for the brand new Hilken Community Stadium at Concordia with admission free for both games. Gates will open at 11:30 a.m.