AUSTIN, Texas – Connor Bertsch had three hits, including a pair of two-run homers, and he drove in five runs to lead 17th-ranked Concordia University Texas to a come-from-behind 12-3 victory over East Texas Baptist on Saturday night at Tornado Field.
Bertsch, who also had a double, clubbed a two-run shot in the sixth inning to allow the Tornados (16-4, 11-1 ASC) to tie the game at 3-3. Two frames later, he again belted a two-run homer over the wall in right field, extending Concordia Texas' advantage to 11-3.
The Tornados, who have won six straight and 12 of their last 13, pounded out a dozen hits in the series opener.
Concordia took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third, as
Caleb Rodriguez drove in
Michael Evan on a single to left field.
However, in the bottom of the panel, the Tigers (9-7, 2-5 ASC) responded with three tallies to take a two-run lead.
Two stanzas later, the Tornados sent all nine hitters to the plate and scored four runs, including two on Bertsch's first home run. CTX added four more runs in the following inning, as East Texas Baptist committed three errors to prolong the frame.
Bertsch's second long ball of the night in the eighth extended the lead to eight runs.
Concordia capped the scoring in the ninth, as
Race Mellman scored on
Gareth Hutton's RBI groundout.
Ragan Pope and
Justin Traxler combined on the mound to record 11 strikeouts and limit the Tigers to six hits. Pope (2-1) earned the win after working 5.1 panels. The left-hander allowed three runs on four hits and struck out five. Traxler then came on to pitch the final 3.2 stanzas, giving up just two hits and fanning six.
The series will conclude Sunday with a doubleheader. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m.
