BOX SCORE

Anthem, Ariz. – Connor Bertsch blasted his first career home run, but the Concordia University Texas baseball team fell to Whittier College by a 9-5 score on Saturday, Feb. 9 at Boulder Creek High School. It was the third game for both teams at the Arizona Desert Classic.

Concordia got on the board in the top of the first inning. Brent Schaekel drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on the next play courtesy of a Stephen Kaminski single. Matt Smith then grounded into a double play, but Schaekel was able to sprint his way home for the Tornados' first run.

After both teams left the bases loaded in the next two half innings, Whittier (1-2) took advantage of a costly Tornado error to plate four unearned runs in the bottom of the second. CTX starter Brandon Garwood began the frame strong by striking out Josh Genzuk looking. But after Max Bradshaw fanned for what should have been the second out, he was able to reach first base due to an error by the catcher.

After two more singles by the Poets that loaded the bases, Garwood got a big second out by sitting down Christian Loera. But when the inning should have been over, the CTX freshman hurler walked in a run that tied the score and then gave up a bases-clearing triple against Julian Barzilli. The clutch hit by Barzilli gave Whittier a 4-1 lead and put the Poets in control for the rest of the game.

Concordia made it 4-2 when Quinn Guest grounded out to second to plate Hollier in the top of the fourth, but the Poets were able to break the game open with four more runs in the fifth by capitalizing on another Tornado error. Andrew Mitchell had a one-out triple in the middle of the frame to score two of the four runs and was driven in by Loera two batters later to make it 8-2.

Trailing 9-4 in the top of the ninth, Concordia was given life when Bertsch belted a leadoff home run. Trevor Harlos and Jon McManemin then reached on a single and an error, respectively, putting two runners on with nobody out. Poet hurler Nick Garcia, however, got out the jam by striking out the next three Tornados to end the game.

Garwood suffered the tough loss and fell to 0-1 overall after yielding five hits and four runs, which were all unearned, over 3.1 frames for Concordia. He struck out four and walked two. Whittier's Thomas Hemington picked up the victory to start the season 1-0 by yielding four hits and three runs, including one earned, while fanning four in five innings of work.

Concordia (0-5) will wrap up play at the Arizona Desert Classic when it faces Linfield tomorrow at 11:00 a.m. Central. The game will be played at the Texas Rangers Spring Training Facility in Surprise, Arizona.
-agate-
Concordia (0-5)     100     101     101     5     9     3
Whittier (1-2)           040     040     01x     9     9     3
     Concordia: Brandon Garwood, Aaron Dunahoe (4), Daniel Garza (8), Bobby Jones (8) and Matt Smith, Tyler Bain (5).
     Whittier: Thomas Hemington, Nick Garcia (6) and Stephen Zavala.