Sower sports roundup, week of February 22

By Kai Olbrich

Sports Editor

Concordia Athletics continued their spring sports this week. Here are some of the scores that Bulldog fans might have missed.

Baseball

The No. 16 Concordia baseball team traveled down to Fort Scott, Kansas, and dominated a four-game series against Graceland University, scoring 54 runs in their four victories. In two games on Saturday, the Bulldogs won 15-5 and 15-1. Concordia then won Sunday’s games, 13-8 and 11-1.

Senior Jaeden Jordahl topped the Bulldogs’ offensive production on Saturday with back-to-back three RBI performances, five hits, one double, and a home run over two games of work. Senior Bronx Lewis and junior Carson Burnett joined Jordal, knocking in three RBI’s in Saturday’s 15-5 win.

Junior Luke Wilson hit his way to four RBI’s in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader with a double and triple in four plate appearances. Junior Jack Hirchert continued the power display, knocking in three RBIs with a double and a home run, joining senior Jimmy Bloomberg and Jordahl, who each contributed a home run and three RBIs in Concordia’s 15-1 take down against Graceland.

The Bulldog pitching staff had a solid day one as they allowed 14 total hits over the two games and struck out 21.

Sophomore Jake Watson powered Concordia’s hitting attack in Sunday’s 13-8 win. Watson was one hit from the cycle against Graceland, knocking in three RBIs on the strength of a home run, double, and single. Freshman Andrew Fetty and Wilson each finished the day with a pair of hits and two RBIs.

Graduate student Caden Bugarski pitched five and two-thirds innings in relief, silencing Graceland’s offense on one hit and seven strikeouts.

Lewis capped off the Bulldogs power hitting weekend with a three-RBI home run in the final game on Sunday. Freshman Cole Jackson chipped in two RBIs on a double, and Watson also tallied two RBIs for Concordia.

Freshman Devin Gonor earned the win, pitching five innings in Concordia’s final victory of a four-game sweep.

Bulldogs Baseball moves to 11-3 on the season and faces Saint Thomas University in Miami, Florida, in a four-game set, starting on March 5.

Softball

Bulldog softball won three of four games this week against National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics competition. Concordia split two games against Kansas Wesleyan, 4-3 and 3-4, but bounced back with wins over Mount Mercy, 7-2, and Clarke, 6-1.

Senior Tobi Topp tallied three hits against Wesleyan with a double and an RBI in Concordia’s opening win. Senior Taryn Ganstrom knocked in an RBI double to get the scoring started in the second inning.

Kansas Wesleyan out-hit Concordia 12-8 in the second game to help them split the two-game set.

Three bulldogs knocked in multiple hits to lead Concordia past Mount Mercy. Ganstrom tallied three hits, a home run and three RBIs. Freshman Mary Beth Hart contributed a single and a double. Topp knocked in two singles and an RBI.

Junior Kaylei Denison pitched all seven innings against Mount Mercy and registered nine strikeouts on the day.

Sophomore Keira Ferritor and junior Laycee Josoff knocked in 2 RBIs apiece in Concordia’s win over Clarke. Ferritor tallied two hits on the day with a double. Hart added three hits and an RBI.

Concordia recorded 12 hits on the day, helping freshman Kierstynn Linn to earn the win for her six innings of work.

Bulldogs softball takes their 8-6 record into a four-game road trip to Wichita, Kansas, starting March 6 against Friends University.

Men’s Tennis

Men’s tennis was on the road this weekend, first to McPherson College on Feb. 27, where the bulldogs won 4-3 before losing away to Bethel College 4-3 on Feb. 28, bringing an end to their eight-game winning streak.

In singles action, senior Nick Velders set the tone with his 6-1, 6-3 win over McPherson’s Jayson Wasserfuhr and a 6-2, 6-3 win over Bethel’s Petr Kollar, continuing his 8-0 record in singles this season.

Newcomers junior Daniel Caballeros and Leo Lopez inspired victory as Caballeros won 6-4, 6-4 over McPherson’s Bruno Barrientos, before the defining fourth point was secured by the freshman Lopez 7-6 (7-2), (6-2), giving Concordia victory in Fremont.

Doubles action saw a 6-4 victory for senior Santiago Abadia and Caballeros against McPherson’s Balazs Temesvari and Davien Spies, as well as sophomore Ben Chisholm and Velders winning 6-4 vs McPherson’s Barrientos and Wasserfuhr, contributing to their (7-2) doubles record.

The men are at home on March 6 when they will host Grand View University at 11 a.m.

Women’s Tennis

Concordia women’s tennis was on the road this weekend, first to McPherson College on Feb. 27, where the Bulldogs lost 5-2, before losing away to Bethel College 5-2 on Feb. 28, bringing their season record to 7-3.

In singles action, junior Alexa Richert shone with her 6-1, 6-1 win over McPherson’s Maria Luisa de Lama and a 6-1, 7-5 win over Bethel’s Patty Huerta.

Additional singles victories came from sophomore Ishane Derman, who won 6-3, 6-2 over Bethel’s Grace Dawes, and sophomore Nina Milic, who secured a gritty 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 10-8 win over McPherson’s Eva Lesteluhu.

Doubles action saw a 7-5 victory for senior Mariana Molano and Derman against McPherson’s Taimi Nashiku and Bella Ellerbee, though the pairings of Richert/Milic and Molano/Derman both fell 6-2 in their matches against Bethel.

The women are at home on March 6 when they will host Grand View University at 11 a.m.

Shooting Sports

Concordia Shooting Sports hosted the 10th annual Concordia Bulldog Sporting Invitational this Saturday, where the Bulldogs finished seventh with a total of 1,273 targets destroyed.

Senior Devin Harris brought the Bulldogs the highest amount of their points with 266 total destroyed targets. Harris’ accuracy was on point in both the sporting clays and super shooting sections.

Senior Katie Welker trailed by just four destroyed targets at 262, and nearly matched the accuracy of Harris in the sporting clay section.

Graduate student Sam Blevins and sophomore Clayton Gellerman had a consistent competition as well and showed some good talent from both the young and experienced competitors.

This is a slight decrease in performance from last year’s tournament, where Concordia placed fourth. But the Bulldogs have been consistent with mid-range placements this season.

Harris, Welker, and Blevins have been consistent, however, in this year’s shoots, and show promise to continue to compete with consistency.