(Portsmouth, OH) The baseball team traveled to Portsmouth Ohio to face Shawnee State this past weekend. The Cardinals extended their win streak to eight games after putting together their second consecutive four game weekend sweep. The Cardinals totaled 35 run while limiting the bears to 12 totals runs over the four games. The Cardinals improved their early season record to 10-2 overall.

The National Christian College Association (NCCAA) announced their weekly awards on Monday afternoon and Alex Phillips (SO/Tucson, AZ) was recognized as the Student-Athlete of the Week among NCCA D1 baseball pitchers. In his role as a relief pitcher, Phillips totaled four innings and struck out four while only allowing one run. Phillips earned the win in the Cardinals 2-0 victory in game one over Shawnee State.  

Game 1 Highlights – Concordia 2, Shawnee State 0

• Chris Lowe (SR/DeWitt, MI) and Grant Steinborn (SR/Flushing, MI) each recorded two hits and scored the Cardinals only two runs
• The Cardinals took advantage of Bears errors scoring an unearned run.
• Billy Blair (JR/St. Charles, MI) started for the Cardinals and went five strong innings only giving up two hits. Blair struck out three while walking four hitters
• Alex Phillips was effective in relief and earned the win for the Cardinals. Phillips did not allow a hit over three innings and struck out four of the eight batters he faced.

Game 2 Highlights – Concordia 5, Shawnee State 4

• The Cardinals were efficient scoring five runs on six hits. Victor Diaz (SR/Guarenas, Venezuela ) and Adam Purdy (SR/Lima, OH) paced the Cardinals attack with two hits a piece.
• Diaz and Preston Sherman (SR/Homer, MI) led the Cardinals with two RBI each.
• Purdy record two stolen bases in route to his team leading total of seven for the weekend.
• Grand Steinborn was the starting pitcher for the Cardinals and worked 3.2 innings allowing one earned run on four hits. Steinborn struck out four batters
• Kane Bourbina (SR/Saginaw, MI), Tyson Kleinfelter (SO/Perrysburg, OH), and Joe Tangy tag teamed relief efforts for the Cardinals only allowing two runs to preserve the Cardinal win.
• A Victor Diaz two out RBI double in the seventh inning scoring Ryan Kotecki (FR/Jenison, MI) was the difference in the game.

Game 3 Highlights – Concordia 21, Shawnee State 7

• The Cardinals exploded for a season high 21 runs. This is the second time in as many years that the Cardinals have scored that many runs in a game
• The Cardinals used a big second inning scoring seven runs.
• The Cardinals took advantage of several Bears errors and recorded timely hitting as well.
• Steinke recorded a double to score Syrjala and Grant Steinborn on two unearned runs
• Preston Sherman recorded a three run dinger in the fifth inning to score his brother Jordan as well as Purdy.
• The Cardinals would not go away quietly adding six more funs in the seventh inning. Once again, Preston Sherman found a spot over the outfield fence recording his second home run of the game.
• Six Cardinals recorded atleast two hits in the game and Preston Sherman led the Cardinals with a career high five RBIs.
• Ten different Cardinals recorded a hit and thirteen Cardinals recorded a run.
• Jacob Henry (SO/Bloomfield Hills, MI) earned the start for the Cardinals and went three solid innings. The rest of the game was by committee using five different arms.
• Ryan Abenth (JR/Saginaw, MI) earned the win in relief.

Game 4 highlights – Concordia 7, Shawnee State 1

• The Bears scored first but the Cardinals responded in the second inning on a double by Adam Purdy to score Jamie Moyer.
• The game remained tied for the next four innings when the Cardinals tallied six runs in the sixth inning.
• Van Acker broke the tie with a leadoff home run.
• The Cardinals batted around the lineup and manufactured runs through small ball, errors, and stole three bases to put the game out of reach.
• Timothy Pomaville (SO/Warren, MI) was effective through five innings only allowing one run on four scattered hits. Pomaville walked three and struck out four.
• Alex Phillips was effective in 1.2 relief innings only allowing one runner to reach base while striking out two.

The Cardinals will return to action this weekend in a four game weekend series with Roosevelt University.