Sower sports roundup, Feb. 21

By Maddy Peters, Sports Editor

If you missed Concordia University Nebraska sports this weekend, here is what happened.

An update on qualifiers for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Wrestling Championships held Feb. 29 through Mar. 1: three Bulldogs are Park City, Kan. bound after receiving an automatic qualifying bid to the event. These players include seniors Creighton Baughman (141) and Mason Garcia (197), and junior Tommy Wentz (165). Concordia was unable to send any wild card qualifiers.

Concordia baseball played a double-header against the William Penn University Statesmen on Feb. 18 in Joplin, Mo. losing the first game 3-2, but winning big 11-2 in the second. They played another double header against the Kansas Wesleyan University Coyotes in Salina, Kan. on Feb. 20 winning the first 14-5 and the second 5-2. The team is now 4-3 and plays a four-game series against Culver-Stockton College on Feb. 24-25.

Seniors Jayden Adams and Joey Grabanski broke two school records as well. Adams became the school’s all-time hits leader with 274 career hits taking over from former teammate Jesse Garcia. Grabanski broke another one of Garcia’s records by hitting 218 career RBIs.

The first game was fairly uneventful. Junior Ty Nekoliczak recorded two RBIs off a single which allowed junior Tanner Tompkins and senior Bradley Hallock to score the only runs of the game. Junior Christian Gutierrez was the pitcher credited with the loss allowing five hits for three runs, four strikeouts and recording two errors.

The Bulldogs annihilated the Statesmen in the second game taking an early lead with three runs in the first inning and then scoring seven at the top of the seventh to take the game. Junior Jaiden Quinn and freshman Matt Rhoades recorded three RBIs each to put Concordia on the scoreboard. Senior Blake Benson was the pitcher credited with the win allowing one hit for one run, nine strikeouts and recording one error.

The second double headers for Concordia against Kansas Wesleyan were filled with big hits and lots of runs. In the first game, Quinn, Rhoades and senior Alec Blakestad each made a homer and Rhoades recorded four RBIs in the game. Senior Caden Johnson was the pitcher credited with the win and had five hits for five runs, eight strikeouts and recorded five errors.

The second game was not quite as bombastic, but some familiar names still scored big. Quinn and Grabanski each hit a home run adding to their already impressive career home run records. Grabanski also recorded three RBIs which led to his new record. Junior Qwin Zabokrtsky was the pitcher credited with the win with zero hits, runs and errors and two strikeouts. Also significant was senior pitcher Caden Bugarske who had five hits for two runs, nine strikeouts and recorded two errors.

Concordia softball had a four-game series in Kansas City, Mo. against four separate schools: the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Pomeroys, the Benedictine College Ravens, the Baker University Wildcats and the Avila University Eagles. The team only won the first game going 1-0 with Saint Mary, but losing 6-5 against Benedictine, 11-1 against Baker and 1-0 against Avila. The team is now 1-5 for the season and next plays a double header against Saint Mary University on Feb. 24.

Senior Taylor Glause hit a single to the Pomeroy shortstop who errored and allowed freshman Madison Cushing to run home for the game winning point against Saint Mary. Junior Megan Eurich was the pitcher credited with the win with four hits for zero runs, eight strikeouts and did not record any errors.

The second game against Benedictine was a close match up with the Bulldogs taking an early three-point lead in the first inning but failing to keep up the offensive as the Ravens slowly built up runs. Junior Jennifer Katz recorded three RBIs over the course of the game. Eurich was the pitcher credited with the loss with three hits for two runs, zero strikeouts and recorded two errors. Also significant was freshman Kaylei Denison, who had five hits for four runs, two strikeouts and recorded four errors.

The team faced No. 11 Baker for the third game in Kansas City and was washed out by the team. The lone run was scored by junior Delanie Voshell off a Glause hit. Glause was tagged out at first base. Eurich was once again credited with the loss having eight hits for five runs, one strikeout and recorded three errors.

The fourth game against Avila was a defensive standoff with the Eagles making their lone run in the bottom of the fifth. Denison was the pitcher credited with the loss this time with four hits for one run, two strikeouts and no errors.