Senior Nathan Douglas went 3-for-3 with a run scored and two runs batted in to lead the Cavs to a 10-1 win over Pacific on Wednesday.
Cavs Rally Past Boxers Behind Season-High 16 Hits
BOX SCORE
FOREST GROVE, Ore.—The Concordia baseball team scored six runs in the top of the ninth, and set a season high with 16 hits en route to a 10-1 win over Pacific at Chuck Bafaro Stadium on Wednesday.
The Cavs improved to 21-23 this season with the win, while the Boxers fell to 12-19 overall.
Jared Young started the Cavs’ rally in the ninth, as he tripled in Jordan Keeker and Cole Shidaki with no outs for the Cavs’ first two runs of the inning. Young then scored on a single from Christian Lichtenthaler during the next at bat, while Licthenthaler would score three batters later on a sacrifice fly from Cole Buruse. Blake Drake then plated the Cavs final two runs in the inning with a double to left-center field.
The Cavs’ rally in the ninth broke open what had been a tight, 4-1 game to that point.
Both teams scored single runs in the first inning, before the Cavs took the lead again with a single run in the top of the fourth. Buruse singled in Nathan Douglas for the Cavs’ run in the fourth, after Douglas led off the inning with a single.
The Cavs then added two more runs in the top of the fifth to take a three-run lead at 4-1. Shidaki and Young started the rally for the Cavs, as both of them reached with one out, then advanced to second and third on a double steal. The double steal put two runners in scoring position for Douglas, who came through with a single to left-center that plated Shidaki. Douglas had plated C.J. Watson for Cavs’ run in the first, as well, giving the senior two runs batted in in the game.
Douglas got caught trying to advance to second after his RBI in the fifth, however, leaving Young at third with two outs in the inning. Julian Burgess followed Douglas with a triple to right, though, which easily scored Young from third.
Overall, four of the Cavs' season-high 16 hits went for extra bases between two doubles and two triples. Individually, Douglas and Young led the Cavs with three hits in the game, as Douglas went 3-for-3 with a run scored and two runs batted in, while Young went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, two runs batted in and a triple.
Meanwhile, the Cavs split time between five different pitchers in the game. Ryan Garrett got the start for the Cavs, his third of the season, and pitched the first two innings before giving way to Harrison McGhee. McGhee then pitched the next three innings, and eventually earned the win, his second of the season.
After McGhee, Christian Bannister and Gage Aker threw three innings combined before giving way to Blake Evetts in the ninth.
The Boxers loaded the bases with two outs against Evetts, but the sophomore reliever struck out the final batter to close things out for the Cavs. Evetts has now not given up a run in his last six appearances on the mound, and has only given up three runs in his last 17 appearances.
The Cavs will face Pacific again next week, as they host the Boxers at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 23 for their next counting game.
Before that, however, the Cavs will host their first Alumni game in the new Porter Park this weekend. The Cavs will begin the Alumni game festivities at 12 p.m. Sunday, April 21, while the game itself will start at 1 p.m.