MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (March 19, 2023) – The big stage called for some big innings from the Loras College baseball team as the Duhawks swept Concordia College at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday night.
The Duhawks (9-5) breezed their way to a 12-4 win in game one on Saturday before coming out on top in a back-and-forth game two after scoring the final five runs of the game to win 7-6.
The win gave Loras head coach his 600th win. Tebon has won 545 games now with Loras and won 56 games with UW-River Falls.
Loras 12, Concordia 4
The Duhawks totaled 12 runs in their first game of the day with all of their runs coming in just three innings. After surrendering a pair of runs to the Cobbers in the top of the third, the Duhawks responded with a five-spot in the bottom half. Four hits and sacrifice flies from sophomore Max McCallum and junior Nick DiBenedetto put the Duhawks ahead and set the table for another big inning later in the game.
Junior Daniel Rogers belted a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-2 in favor of the Duhawks before a six-run output in the bottom of the sixth. Loras tallied just four singles in the frame but took advantage of three Cobbers errors to take a commanding 12-2 lead.
The Cobbers added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but it wasn't enough to mount any kind of comeback. Senior right-hander Davis Pasco earned the win after he and freshman TJ Boyd surrendered only seven hits and two earned runs to the Cobbers.
Loras 7, Concordia 6
Concordia looked to have things in check in the second game of the night after a six-run fourth inning had the Duhawks in a hole. A two-RBI double from freshman Alex Sandoval gave the Duhawks a lead in the second inning, but they went into the later innings trailing after that big frame from the Cobbers.
Senior Max Cullen ripped a two-out, two-RBI double in the top of the sixth to cut into the deficit and give the Duhawks a chance heading into the seventh. Loras loaded the bases with no outs to start the seventh inning and tied the game after a fielder's choice and a Cobbers error.
Freshman Michael Ray then gave the Duhawks the lead with a sacrifice fly to left field to score McCallum and bring the Duhawks all the way back after facing a sizable deficit. Graduate closer Ethan Peters earned the win after tossing the final three innings and keeping the Cobbers at bay by only surrendering three hits. Peters struck out three hitters in the seventh, giving him seven total.
Loras begins American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) action this weekend with a three-game series at Wartburg College, starting with a single game on Friday, March 24, at 6 P.M.