BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

AUSTIN, Texas - The Concordia Texas baseball team split a pair of games of the Mike Gardner Classic on opening day. The Tornados dominated Hardin-Simmons in game one & dropped game two against Texas Lutheran. Senior pitchers David Matthews (eight) and Ryan Bailey (seven) posted new career highs for strikeouts, while Zach Seigrist cranked the first homer of the season at Gardner-Boggs Field on Friday.

GAME ONE: W, 10-4 vs. Hardin-Simmons

Concordia wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the 2024 campaign. A single through the right side by Chris Morrow scored Julian Swift. They then rattled off four runs (three unearned) in the second inning capped off by a two-RBI double to left by Colby Christian that scored Swift & Zach Seigrist.

Seigrist then broke the game wide open for a 7-0 lead when he hammered a two-run homer to left center in the third inning. Both teams went scoreless through the next pair of innings, before the Cowboys notched their first of the game in the sixth. 

CTX immediately responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame where Brandon Goynes tallied a RBI-single and Efren Sanchez Jr. scored two on a RBI-single as well. Hardin-Simmons added three runs in the eighth, but Concordia held firm for the game one victory. 

BOX SCORE STANDOUTS
David Matthews 4.1 IP, 8 Ks (Career-High)
Efren Sanchez Jr. 4 Hits, 2 RBIs, 2 Runs
Zach Seigrist 3 RBIs, 2 Runs, 1 HR
Julian Swift 3 BB, 2 Runs

GAME TWO: L, 5-0 vs. Texas Lutheran

Threatening to score in the bottom of the first, the Tornados loaded the bases with two outs left but the Bulldogs escaped with a pop out to first. They then put another man in scoring position when Seigrist connected on a two-out triple off the right field wall in the second inning, but were unable to score again.

Later in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded, the Bulldogs cleared the bases with a triple for a 3-0 lead. They then tacked on another run in the sixth and a homer in the eighth to up their lead to five. Texas Lutheran's defense would ultimately hold off Concordia's offense for the win.

BOX SCORE STANDOUTS
Ryan Bailey 7 Ks (Career-High), 4.0 IP
Otto Franz 5 Ks, 5.0 IP

Concordia Texas will return right back to action where they will have rematches against Texas Lutheran (11AM) & Hardin-Simmons (6PM) on Saturday.
 

To keep up to date with everything surrounding the CTX baseball program, follow us on social media (@ctxathletics) and visit athletics.concordia.edu