Sower sports roundup, week of March 15

By Keith Siek and Joseph McCarroll

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

Men’s Golf

The Concordia Men’s Golf team made program history this week at the Doane Spring Invite (March 17-18). After battling harsh temperatures on day one, the Bulldogs took advantage of a warm second day in Lincoln to shatter the school’s 18-hole scoring record.

The Bulldogs fired a blistering two-under-par 278 in round two at Mahoney Golf Course, eclipsing the previous school record of 283 set in 2022. Senior Jake Richmond led the historic charge with a career-best 67 (-3) featuring an eagle and four birdies. Senior Brock Rogers and freshman Calvin Zabloudil both joined Richmond in the red, carding a 68 (-2) and 69 (-1) respectively. In addition to Zabloudil’s career low, freshman Tyler Weismann rounded out the record-breaking team score with a 74.

The Concordia ‘A’ team placed 8th out of 19 groupings with a total score of 599 (321-278).

The ‘B’ grouping finished 11th overall (317-303—620), led by freshman Logan Krabbenhoft, who shot a 76-73-149 to place 38th individually.

Baseball

No. 18 Concordia faced off against Great Plains Athletic Conference rival No. 21 Doane, going 2-2 in four games this week.

March 20 featured a 9-8 win to open the series, followed by a 6-2 loss in the second game hosted by Concordia at Sherman Field in Lincoln, Nebraska. The Bulldogs got back in the winning column on March 21 with a 6-3 victory on Doane’s home turf, but left the series with a closing 7-6 loss in the final game.

Over the four games, senior Bronx Lewis and junior Jack Hirchert each recorded a four-RBI day. Hirchert lifted the Bulldogs over Doane with a come-from-behind grand slam in the bottom of the fifth inning in the first game. Lewis filled the scorecard with a single, double and a homerun to reach his four RBI mark in Concordia’s final game.

Freshman Brody Smearer earned his first career win in Concordia’s 6-3 takedown of Doane. Smearer pitched four innings, giving up three runs, and struck out a pair of Doane hitters. Graduate student Alex Johnson was two outs away from pitching the entire game and earned the win in the Bulldogs’ opening win.

Despite receiving the loss in game two, graduate student Caden Bugarske pitched an impressive 5.1 innings where he allowed just three hits and one run while striking out eight batters.

Concordia remains the top-rated Great Plains Athletic Conference team in the coaches poll, but stands fourth in the GPAC standings after its series split against Doane. The Bulldogs stand at 17-11 on the year and 5-3 against GPAC competition.

Concordia travels to Forest City, Iowa, to take on Waldorf University in a two-game set on March 28.

Softball

Bulldog softball played a doubleheader against Nebraska Wesleyan and Briar Cliff on March 20 and 21. Concordia finished the weekend 3-1, sweeping Nebraska Wesleyan 8-5 and 8.4. The Bulldogs split their series against Briar Cliff with a 4-3 win and an 8-6 loss.

Sophomore Keira Farritor contributed at least one RBI in every game. Farritor knocked in three RBIs and a double in the opening game against Briar Cliff. She finished the weekend with seven RBIs, nine hits and two doubles.

Senior Tobi Topp powered Concordia past Nebraska Wesleyan with a three-RBI home run to take a two-run lead, which the Bulldogs would balloon to four in the closing innings of Concordia’s 8-4 victory.

Freshman Kierstyn Linn pitched in all four games for Concordia this week, earning her third win on the year. Linn recorded twelve innings of work and struck out four opponents during the action this week.

Bulldog softball moves to 12-8 on the season and continues play against Bellevue University on March 25.

Men’s tennis

Concordia men’s tennis went 2-1 across a three-match stretch from March 19-21. The Bulldogs defeated Seward County Community College 5-2 and Missouri Valley College 5-2 before falling 4-2 to No. 17 William Woods University. Concordia’s record now stands at 12-3.

In singles against Seward County, senior Nick Velders, sophomore Ben Chisholm, senior Santiago Abadia, and freshman Leo Lopez each earned victories. Concordia also swept all three doubles courts with wins from the pairs of Lopez/Caballeros, Fuentes/Chisholm, and Velders/Gajic.

Against Missouri Valley, Concordia secured four singles wins from Velders, junior Daniel Caballeros, Lopez, and junior Michael Bedrosian.

The Bulldogs sealed the team win by sweeping doubles, highlighted by victories from Lopez/Caballeros, Fuentes/Chisholm, and Velders/Gajic.

Facing No. 17 William Woods, Velders and Caballeros picked up Concordia’s two singles points. Velders and Gajic also earned a doubles win, but William Woods secured the overall 4-2 team victory.

Women’s tennis

Concordia women’s tennis pulled off a major upset on March 21, defeating No. 19 William Woods University 4-2 in Fulton, Missouri. The Bulldogs improved their overall record to 9-4.

In singles against William Woods, senior Mariana Molano, junior Chakira Derman, sophomore Ishane Derman, and junior Alexa Richert each earned victories to lead the team. Molano won 6-3, 6-2; Chakira Derman followed with a 6-3, 6-1 result, Ishane Derman added a 6-3, 6-4 win, and Richert secured a three-set victory, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. Alana Lopez Pagan was defeated 1-6, 3-6, while Nina Milic’s match went unfinished.

In doubles, William Woods claimed the early advantage by sweeping all three courts. The closest match came from Molano and Ishane Derman, who pushed their opponents to a tiebreak before falling 7-6 (7-3).