Sower sports roundup, March 20

By Maddy Peters, Sports Editor

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

The Concordia shooting sports team is currently competing at the Association of College Unions International National Championships in San Antonio, Texas until March 23. Complete results will be detailed on that day.

Concordia Track and Field have another week off after their national meet in early March. The Grand View University Viking Relay was canceled due to a poor weather forecast in Des Moines. The team will start their outdoor season on March 28 instead at the Central College Dutch Invite in Pella, Iowa.

Concordia softball and tennis also had schedule changes. Softball has moved its double header against Midland in Fremont from March 20 to the 21 with first pitch at 5 p.m. Tennis has moved its games against Morningside in Sioux City to March 22. First serve is scheduled for noon.

Concordia baseball began its conference season with a double header against the Briar Cliff University Chargers on March 19. They split the games, losing the first 10-7 and winning the second 3-0. The team is now 17-6 overall and 1-1 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.

Their next games against Northwestern College were moved up to take place March 21-22 to avoid bad weather on the 23. First pitch is now scheduled for 5 p.m. on the 21 and 2 p.m. on the 22.

The team blazed ahead of the Chargers in the first inning with a 68th career home run by senior Joey Grabanski that also sent junior Jaiden Quinn home for a two-run lead. The lead did not last too long, as Briar Cliff scored four runs in both the third and fourth innings. The Bulldogs were unable to catch up despite another home run, this time by senior Alec Blakestad.

Junior Christian Gutierrez was the pitcher credited with the loss, going five hits for four runs, one strikeout and recording four errors.

Senior Blake Benson pitched an incredible shutout in the second game going six whole innings. He only had two hits for the day and ended with five strikeouts. Senior Maverick Wylder who took over for Benson was credited with a save and had two hits and strikeouts. The offensive side of the game was a slow burn. The Bulldogs focused on filling the bases and forcing runners home rather than getting big hits.

Grabanski is now third in the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for career home runs with 68. The only people who have more career homers in the NAIA are Steve Dover with 72 (1998-2001) from Lindsey Wilson College and Brian Cutspec with 77 (2007-10) from Azusa Pacific.