GAME ONE BOX SCORE

GAME TWO BOX SCORE

Abilene, Texas – Colton Gommert went a combined 4-for-6 with four RBI in leading the fourth-ranked Concordia University Texas baseball team to a doubleheader sweep of McMurry on Saturday, Apr. 14 at Walt Driggers Field. The Tornados, who have won a season-high 12 straight games, also clinched the right to host a best-of-three playoff series against an opponent to be determined later in the month after defeating the War Hawks by scores of 2-1 and 10-0.
 
In the opener, McMurry (18-19, ASC 11-7) jumped on the board first by taking advantage of Tornado defensive miscues. Ruben Zandejas reached on an infield error to start the third and made it all the way to third base on a failed pickoff attempt by the Concordia pitcher. He came home on a groundout to second by Nick Marsh.

Concordia, however, was able to come back and get just enough run support during a classic pitcher's duel in the top of the fifth.  Colton Gommert and Alec Carter each singled to put runners on the corners before Nick Kozole came in as a pinch runner and stole second to put two in scoring position with one out. After the next Tornado hitter fanned, Matt McManemin came through with a two-out single up the middle that scored Gommert and Kozole. The Tornado pitching staff only allowed one Warhawk player to reach base the rest of the way.

Concordia's Tyler Grygar improved to 5-2 this season and was the winning pitcher for throwing 5.1 frames without yielding an earned run. He gave up five hits and struck out a batter while not issuing a walk. Jacob Spelbring picked up his fourth save of the season by retiring all five batters he faced. McMurry's Caleb Gonzales fell to 2-3 after being tagged with the loss. He gave up six hits and two runs while striking out five and issuing two walks.

The Tornados got to War Hawk starter Jacob Dentoni early and often, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first and never looking back. Gommert blasted a bases-clearing double down the line in right before coming home on the next play thanks to a Nick Kozole single.

Concordia would then score at least once in three consecutive innings between the fifth and seventh to end the series early due to the 10-run rule. Collin Janssen clubbed his fifth home run of the season during the stretch.

Butschek picked up the win for Concordia and improved to a perfect 2-0 on the season after hurling five innings of shutout ball. He allowed three hits, recorded three strikeouts and walked two batters. McMurry's Dentoni suffered the loss and dropped to 3-3 this spring. He was lit up for eight hits and seven runs, which were all earned, over five innings.

Concordia (30-6, ASC 16-2) will look to clinch the top seed out of the ASC West Division and hosting rights throughout the league tournament for as long as they are playing when it hosts Texas Lutheran for a three-game series on Apr. 20-21.
-agate-
Concordia                                     000     020     0     2     6     3
McMurry                                         001     000     0     1     5     1
                Concordia: Tyler Grygar, Jacob Spelbring (6) and Collin Janssen.
                McMurry: Caleb Gonzales, Charlie Hejny (7) and Bradd Baker.

Concordia (30-6, ASC 16-2)     400     012     3    10   11   0
McMurry (18-19, ASC 11-7)       000     000     0     0     5     1
Concordia: Colin Butschek, Russell Johns (6), Ryan Ullmann (7) and Collin Janssen.
McMurry: Jacob Dentoni, Derek Patterson (6), Stephen Greenwood (7) and Bradd Baker.

*Game ended after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.