GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Concordia-St. Paul hit a pair of three-run homers in the bottom of the seventh to stun Southwest Minnesota State with a walk-off 10-7 victory in game one of a doubleheader on Friday.  CU completed the sweep with a 15-11 victory in game two.

SMSU drops to 14-9 overall, 4-4 NSIC, while CU improves to 16-8 overall, 8-4 NSIC.  CU has now beaten SMSU five times in six meetings this season.  The Golden Bears won three of four games in early March when the teams met in Tucson, Ariz.

In the opener, trailing 4-2 in the top of the seventh, SMSU rallied to score five runs and build a 7-4 lead and needing just three outs to earn the victory.

CU wouldn't quit and quickly tied it in the seventh with a single, walk and three-run homer.  Following another single, Mustang reliever Corby McGlauflin recorded a strikeout and fly out, but CU's Paul Giel ended the game with a home run over the left field fence for his first round-tripper of the season.

SMSU opened the scoring in the first inning as Ben Korger reached on an error and came around to score on a ground out by Kyle Young.

CU took the lead scoring a pair of runs in the fourth inning, but SMSU came back to tie the game in the fifth.  Korger doubled to lead off the frame and later scored on a run-scoring single by Brian Ness. 

The Golden Bears then regained the lead in the sixth with a solo home run and two-out RBI single to take a 4-2 lead.

In the seventh, Jordon Kontz singled and was followed by a walk to Ness.  After a fly out, Young walked to load the bases before Mark Hanson trimmed the lead to 4-3 with a sac fly.  SMSU then tied the game on an error by the CU second baseman and the Mustangs were able to take advantage.  Brandan Alfson gave SMSU the lead with a pinch-hit RBI single and was followed by a pinch-hit RBI single by Chris Eichten and another run-scoring hit by Korger to extend the lead to 7-4.

SMSU pitcher Derek Skovbroten, who closed out the sixth inning, allowed a lead-off single in the seventh, before Chris Koep entered the game and walked the only batter he faced.  McGlauflin then entered the game and was greeted by Drew Turk's three-run homer to tie the game.  It was Turk's first home run of the season.

Korger and Kontz led an eight-hit SMSU attack with two hits each, with Korger scoring a pair of runs.

Nate Dickhausen started for SMSU and pitched five-plus innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with two strikeouts and two walks.  McGlauflin suffered the loss, dropping to 1-2 on the season.

In game two, following a scoreless first, Young gave SMSU a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to right field in the top of the second.  CU quickly answered with four runs in the bottom of the second and then added three more in the third to build a 7-2 lead. 

CU extended the margin to 10-2 after five innings, before SMSU trimmed the lead to 10-6 in the sixth, following a Hanson RBI double and an Eichten three-run homer, his first of the season and third of his career.  The Golden Bears answered again and put the game away with a five-run sixth to make the score 15-6.

SMSU added two runs in the seventh, one in the eight and two more in the ninth, but it wasn't enough.

Aaron Johnson suffered the loss and dropped to 2-2 on the season, pitching four innings and allowing six earned runs on nine hits. 

SMSU finished with 16 hits in the nightcap, with Eichten leading the way with two hits, two runs scored and tying a career-high with four RBIs.  Ness finished with three hits and three runs scored, while Korger, Young and Jon Ellis each added two hits. 

The Mustang defense committed six errors in game two.

Southwest Minnesota State and Concordia conclude the four-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.