(Easley, SC) – Concordia baseball began pool play at the NCCAA World Series on Friday afternoon. The Cardinals received the #2 seed in Pool B and faced off first against #7 seed Kansas Christian College, making a valiant comeback effort but falling 13-11. Concordia bounced back in game two against #6 College of the Ozarks, winning 3-1. The Diamond Cards will have two more games on Saturday as they attempt to reach the semifinals on Monday.
Game 1 - #7 Kansas Christian 13 - #2 Concordia 11
Tyson Kleinfelter started game 1 on the mound, notching 4 strikeouts in 3 innings. Kleinfelter struck out 2 batters in the top of the 1st and the Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom half. Grant Steinborn hit an RBI single to drive in Victor Diaz for the game's first run.
Kansas Christian took a 2-1 lead with 2 runs in the 2nd. The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the 2nd when Vann Acker was able to score while Ryan Kotecki was caught in a rundown.
Kansas Christian used a 4-run 3rd inning to retake the lead. Concordia fought back early in the bottom of the 3rd on back-to-back solo home runs by Adam Purdy and Victor Diaz, trimming the deficit to 6-4.
Jacob Henry came in to pitch in the 4th inning, notching 3 strikeouts in 2.2 innings. Kansas Christian added a run in the top of the 4th. The Cardinals loaded the bases in the bottom half of the inning, but no runners were able to score.
CUAA was able to plate a run in the 5th when Jordan Sherman used an RBI groundout to drive in Chris Lowe. Kansas Christian pulled ahead further with a 6-run 6th inning to take a 13-5 lead. CUAA responded in the bottom of the 6th on a solo home run by Dylan Steinke.
Trailing by 7 runs in the bottom of the 7th, the Cardinals began to mount a comeback effort with two outs. Victor Diaz crushed a 3-RBI bases-loaded double to deep right field driving in Adam Purdy, Dylan Steinke, and Robert Brenay. Calvin Syrjala hit an RBI double to score Diaz and Grant Steinborn used an RBI double to drive in Syrjala. While Concordia was able to cut the deficit to 13-11, Kansas Christian secured the final out to end the game.
Game 1 - #6 College of the Ozarks 1 - #2 Concordia 3
Grant Steinborn toed the rubber for the Cardinals in their second game of the day. The southpaw would go on to pitch a complete game, only giving up one run on six hits. Steinborn finished with five strikeouts and just one walk.
Concordia drew first blood in the bottom of the first when Adam Purdy was hit by a pitch, stole second, and scored on a Victor Diaz ground out.
The Diamond Cards went on to strand six runners over the next four innings until the bottom of the fifth. Once again it was Adam Purdy who got on for the Cardinals with a single and was advanced to second by Calvin Syrjala's fly out. Purdy stole third, and then scored on a wild pitch to make it a two run game.
Vann Acker started a rally in the bottom of the sixth with a walk. Acker was replaced by Caleb Chamberlain on the base paths before Adam Purdy drew a walk as well. Victor Diaz tallied his second RBI of the night when he drove Chamberlain home on a single to right centerfield.
In one last final effort the Bobcats loaded the bases in the top of the seventh and broke up the shut out with a sacrifice fly. It proved to be too little, too late though, as Steinborn stuck out the final batter giving the Cardinals the 3-1 win.
The Cardinals will round out pool play tomorrow with another pair of games. Concordia is set to face #10 Toccoa Falls College at 1:00 pm and #3 Columbia International University at 7:00 pm.
