Tech, Cavs split first day of final weekend
PORTLAND, Ore.—Battling to secure home field advantage for the NAIA West Tournament, Concordia split a Friday doubleheader (5-1, 2-3) at home against Oregon Tech.
Concordia (27-21, 17-9 NAIA W.) started the day two games back of British Columbia and following the 5-1 opening win, saw UBC fall to mighty Lewis-Clark State to cut the gap to a single game.
Playing the spoiler role after being eliminated from the five-team tourney, Oregon Tech (17-30, 8-18 NAIA W.) used a complete game performance by Greg Spallis in the nightcap to put a dent in the CU chase.
The two teams will close out the regular season on Saturday with a 1:30 p.m. twinbill at Porter Park.
Game 1: Concordia 5, Oregon Tech 1
Belting out 12 hits, Concordia scored three runs in the opening inning and never trailed as
Jordan Spencer (1-4) held OIT to one run on five hits.
Batting third for the Cavs, Spencer helped his own cause by going 2 for 4 at the plate with a pair of RBI.
The Hustlin' Owls' one score came in the first inning on a Dominic Morris single to center that allowed Brenden Flaherty to trot home from third. OIT managed just four baserunners the rest of the way as Spencer and
Austin Hadley combined for the win.
Hadley, CU's school record holder with 10 saves this season, pitched a clean ninth inning that featured two strikeouts.
Game 2: Oregon Tech 2, Concordia 1
Making his first start of the season Greg Spallis (1-0) allowed just one run on seven hits to give the Owls the evening win.
Spallis struck out three batters and received the help from his defense that turned a double play in the first and eliminated a runner at the plate in the seventh.
Concordia's
Jason Snodgrass took the loss despite allowing just the two runs over the nine-inning performance.
Concordia's lone run occurred in the third with
Hunter Weiss sending a sacrifice fly to center field to score
Blake Evetts, who opened the inning with a double down the right-field line.