Snodgrass Throws Shutout, Cavs Split Series with College of Idaho
BOX SCORES - Game 1 - Game 2
PORTLAND, Ore.—With Jason Snodgrass throwing a two-hit shutout in the first game, the Concordia baseball team split another doubleheader against No. 22 The College of Idaho on Sunday.
Concordia took the first game 10-0 on Sunday behind Snodgrass’ shutout and an offensive explosion in the seventh inning. The College of Idaho bounced back in the second game, however, winning 8-4 thanks to a seven-run top of the fourth.
The split on Sunday also gave the teams a split in the series, while College of Idaho now stands 25-11 overall and 10-6 in the NAIA West, with Concordia 18-15 overall and 10-10 in the NAIA West.
Next up, Concordia steps out of conference for a home game against Linfield on Tuesday, April 3 at 6 p.m. The Cavs will then return to conference play with a road series against Lewis-Clark State over the weekend. The Yotes, meanwhile, head home as they return to action with a weekend series against Oregon Tech.
GAME 1—CONCORDIA 10, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 0
Fresh off a one-run, complete-game performance from Mitch Ludtke in the second game Saturday, freshman Jason Snodgrass one-upped his teammate with a two-hit shutout in the first game Sunday.
Snodgrass completely shut down the Yotes offense in the game, allowing only two walks on top of the two hits, while recording eight strikeouts.
The Yotes had entered the series as the top team in the NAIA West in batting average and on-base percentage, but only had one player get past first against Snodgrass.
C of I starting pitcher Taylor Nicholson made it a game early, however, as he took a one-hitter into the fourth inning. That’s when the Cavalier offense started to pick it up, though, as senior Sean Myrom crushed a pitch all the way to the wall in straight-away center field for a one-out triple in the fourth. Carl Beckert then plated Myrom during the next at bat, as he hit a sacrifice fly to left that opened the scoring for the Cavs.
Concordia then rallied with two outs in the fifth to tack on two more runs and take a 3-0 lead. Sheldon Austria started the rally with a walk and then came all the way around on the next at bat as freshman Blake Drake sent a rocket over the left-field fence for a home run. The two-run shot gave Drake his first home run as a Cavalier and made him the first Cavalier to hit a home run in the new Hilken Community Stadium.
The Yotes remained in the game after that, though, until a six-run bottom of the seventh put the game away for the Cavs. Concordia scored all six runs with one out in the inning, getting the first two on RBI walks from Jordan Keeker and Ben Talbot. Then, after a short rain delay, second baseman Ryan Rodriguez hit a ball all the way to Dekum Street over the left-field fence for a grand slam. Like Drake, the blast gave Rodriguez his first home run as a Cavalier while also making him the first player to hit a grand slam at Hilken.
After that, Concordia tacked on another run in the eighth to make it 10-0, while Snodgrass retired six of the next seven C of I batters to close out the victory for the Cavs.
Overall, the Cavs outhit the Yotes 9-2 in the game and did not commit an error.
Beckert and Jared Young each recorded two hits in the game to lead the Cavs, while Rodriguez easily led the team in runs batted in with four. Austria posted the most unique stat line though, as he went 1-for-1 with a run scored and four walks.
On the mound, Snodgrass easily got the win, while Nicholson picked up the loss after giving up six runs on six hits and eight walks through 6.1 innings.
GAME 2—COLLEGE OF IDAHO 8, CONCORDIA 4
With the win in the first game, the Cavs had a chance at a series win over the No. 22-ranked Yotes, but a seven-run fourth inning led the Yotes to an 8-4 win in the second game Sunday.
The Yotes did much of the damage with no outs in the fourth as their first nine batters reached safely in the inning. A Concordia error helped fuel the rally early, while Tanner Hodges plated the first two runs of the inning with a double to right-center field. A walk to Jeffrey Harris then loaded the bases again for the Yotes, before Jesse Dodd scored two more for C of I with a single through the left side of the infield. The Cavs changed pitchers after that, but Tyler Andazola and Zachary Fabricius continued the rally with back-to-back RBI singles. Another walk loaded the bases again after that, but the Cavs finally recorded an out on the next at bat, as Nick Muncy grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. The play still brought Andazola home, however, giving the Yotes their seventh run of the inning.
The Cavs responded well offensively to the rally, with Blake Drake leading off their half of the fourth with a single to left. Mike Cero then followed with a walk, before Ryan Rodriguez reached on an error after he attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Drake scored on the play due to the error, while Cero moved to third. A sacrifice fly from Carl Beckert during the next at bat plated Cero, bringing the Cavs within five at 7-2 with still only one out. However, C of I starter Joshua Orr struck out Sean Myrom and induced a fly out from Jordan Keeker to end the Cavs’ threat in the fourth.
Orr’s offense then backed him up with another run in the fifth, though Concordia got that run back with another in the sixth. Drake started the rally again, reaching on an error by the Yotes’ second baseman. Then, after Cero flew out to center, Drake stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Beckert came through for the Cavs after that, sending a two-out single to center for his second RBI in the game.
That run brought the Cavs within five again at 8-3, but Orr and the Yotes’ bullpen negated any chance of a Cavs rally over the final three innings, leading the Yotes to an 8-4 win.
Concordia scored its final run in the bottom of the ninth, as catcher Ben Talbot hit a two-out double down the right-field line that scored Sheldon Austria from first.
Overall, the Yotes outhit the Cavs 10-6 in the game, while both teams left five runners on base.
Individually, Jeffrey Harris went 2-for-2 for the Yotes with two walks, a run scored and a run batted in. Besides him, Izaac Garsez went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a triple.
No Cavalier had more than one hit in the game, though Drake finished with two runs scored.
On the mound, Orr picked up the win for the Yotes after giving up three runs (only one earned) on two hits and two walks through seven innings. CU starter Eric Weir, meanwhile, received the loss after giving up six runs (five earned) through three innings.