Big Hits Blast Auggies

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (4/02/15)—Concordia got a pair of home runs from sophomore Dominique Giesen, the first collegiate long balls from Mackenzie McCloud and Devonie Smith and beat Augsburg 11-6 and 4-3. It marks the first time since 2007 that the Cobbers have swept the Auggies.

Concordia used multiple-run first innings to claim the two wins over Augsburg. Not only was it the first sweep for the Cobbers over the Auggies since 2007 but it was also the first sweep at Augsburg since 2002. Concordia is now 8-5 overall on the year and 2-2 in conference. The eight overall victories is more than CC had in all of last season and the two MIAC victories equal Concordia's total from the 2014 season.

The Cobbers set the tone for the twinbill in the very first inning of the opener by scoring seven runs on five hits. The two biggest hits came off the bats of McCloud and senior Ashley Tibbetts. Tibbetts hit a one-out triple to right-center field that plated three runs and then McCloud cleared the bases with her first collegiate home run.

Concordia backed the seven-run first up with a three-run second that put the game out of reach. Giesen did the damage in the second frame when she connected on the first of her two long balls on the day.

The Cobbers would add one more run in the seventh inning to finish up the five-run victory. Concordia outhit Augsburg 10-9 in the opener with CC having four extra base hits.

Giesen, Tibbetts, McCloud and Madison Little were all 2-for-4 in the first game.

Senior Hillary Rotunda went the distance in the circle and gave up four earned runs and struck out three. She improved her season record to 4-3. The four wins is the most of any season for Rotunda and one shy of her total from the last two year's combined.  

While the Cobbers scored 63.6% (7-of-11) of their runs in the first inning in game 1, they upped that total to 75.0% (3-of-4) in game 2. Once again it was a home run that broke the game open. Giesen hammered a one-out pitch over the center field fence that scored Little and Smith and for the second straight game Concordia staked their starting pitcher to a multiple-run lead in the first inning.

Concordia scored the eventual game-winning run in the second inning on Smith's first collegiate homer.

The rest was left up to sophomore pitcher Abigail Haraldson who held the Auggies scoreless until the third inning, gave up three runs in the third and then posted four straight scoreless innings to earn the win. Haraldson retired 12 of the final 14 batters she faced to also run her win total to four.

She scattered eight hits, five of which came in the first three innings, and struck out three. Haraldson also lowered her team-best ERA to 3.83.

Little was the only CC batter to have more than one hit as both teams finished with eight base knocks. Little was 2-for-4 in the finale and finished the day by going 4-for-8. She is now hitting a team-best .333 after hitting .267 last season. Little has five multiple-hit games this season.  

Giesen was 3-for-8 against the Auggies and drove in seven of the team's 15 runs.  She is now hitting .313 and has a team-best 11 RBI. Giesen had nine RBI in all of last season.

Concordia will continue with their back-to-back conference road doubleheaders when they play at Gustavus on Friday, Apr. 3 at noon. The Gusties are 11-9 overall this season and 1-1 in league play.