Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WAYNE, Neb. – With its bats held in check and the defense committing costly errors, the University of Mary was swept by Concordia–St. Paul in the Northern Sun baseball opener for both squads. In a doubleheader played in Wayne, Neb., the Golden Bears posted 7-1 and 7-2 wins over the Marauders.
 
The two teams have canceled Monday's doubleheader due to projected inclement weather. Initially a four-game set to be played in St. Paul, poor field conditions led the two teams to find a neutral site and push the games back one day.
 
U-Mary (5-11 overall, 2-0 NSIC) scored the first and last runs of the day but Concordia (10-2, 2-0) scored 14 consecutive runs in-between as the Golden Bears extended their win streak to 15 straight games over the Marauders. Just seven of the 14 Golden Bears runs were earned as U-Mary was charged with five errors in the two games.
 
GAME 1: Concordia-St. Paul 7 U-Mary 1
Multiple miscues led to U-Mary opening the Northern Sun season with a 7-1 loss to Concordia – St. Paul. Three Marauders errors led to four unearned runs.
 
Austin Grundstad opened the game with a double and Jason Shaul followed with a one out walk. Attempting a double steal, Grundstad was thrown out at third while Shaul advanced to second. Consecutive singles Derek Somerville and Andrew Beyer, scored Shaul to give the Marauders a 1-0 lead.
 
The Golden Bears responded in short order as the Marauders committed a two-out error in the first to allow the tying run to score.  
 
The big blow of the game came off the bat of Ryan Poppitz in the second inning, a 3-run blast to give the Golden Bears a 4-1 advantage. Concordia later tacked on a single run in the third and two more in the fifth, all unearned.
 
Adam Kramer dominated the game on the hill for Concordia. After allowing three hits in the first inning, he scattered three U-Mary hits over the next five innings. In six innings of work he struck out eight and walked two. During one stretch he retired eight straight Marauders.
 
Victimized by his defense, U-Mary starter Shane Trattles allowed three earned runs – seven total – in four innings. The senior righthander gave up seven hits and two walks. Zach Steckler picked up two strikeouts in one inning of relief and Zach Schuchard retired all three batters he faced.
 
Beyer led the Marauders with two hits and an RBI in four at bats. Shaul had a single and a walk. Grundstad posted the Marauders lone extra base hit.
 
GAME 2: Concordia 7 U-Mary 2
A pitchers game early, the Golden Bears scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings before posting multiple runs in the sixth and seventh to pull away from the Marauders.
 
One of the Northern Sun leaders in earned run average and opponent's batting average, the Marauders Michael Vollrath held the Golden Bears in check for the first three innings, retiring the first six batters he faced and nine of ten.
 
Concordia scored first in the fourth. Kyle Dalton led off with a double and scored on a two-out base hit by Eric Fasnacht. The Golden Bears doubled their lead in the fifth on a squeeze bunt by Tyler Krekling.
 
After allowing a leadoff double in the sixth, Vollrath was replaced by Brad Horan. The senior righthander induced two ground ball outs but back to back two-out hits scored two runs to double the Concordia lead to 4-0. The Golden Bears pushed their advantage to 7-0 with three unearned runs in the seventh.
 
Limited to just three hits over the first eight innings, U-Mary posted four hits in the ninth to score two runs. Jeff Aders doubled leading off the inning and scored on a Trenten Hove double. Grundstad later singled home Sam Ingemansen with the other run of the inning.
 
Vollrath allowed three runs on six hits and no walks in five innings to take the loss. He posted three strikeouts.
 
Ingemansen was 2-for-2 with a run scored and two walks to lead the Marauders offense. Hove was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
 
Zach Rengel earned the win for the Golden Bears, tossing seven scoreless innings and striking out eight batters. He allowed two hits and walked four.
 
Drew Turk paced the Concordia offense with four hits. He also scored a run and drove one in. Three other players had two hits.
 
The Marauders are next scheduled to play at Winona State University on March 29-30.
 
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