Wind Sweeps Doubleheader
MOORHEAD, Minn. (4/29/18)---The final scoreboard should have read – Wind 2, Concordia and Augsburg 0.
The Cobber and Auggies battled through a doubleheader which featured wind gusts up to 35mph. Concordia was unable to take care of the Jetstream blowing out to left center field and fell 2-1 and 15-1.
The two losses end the Cobbers' 2-game win streak. Concordia is now 6-32 in all games and ends the MIAC season with a 2-20 mark. Augsburg extends their win streak to six games and is now 21-17 overall. The Auggies end the MIAC regular season with a 13-9 mark and have earned a spot in the conference tournament.
Both games had to be stopped on several occasions to allow the infield dust storm to clear the home plate area so the batter, catcher and umpire could see the pitching circle.
The wind also wreaked havoc on routine fly balls. Fielders had to constantly adjust to take into account the wind gust and several times an easy fly ball turned into a hit because of the changed flight path.
The wind played a huge part in the defensive ability of both teams as they combined for nine errors in the two games.
Augsburg scored their only two runs in the opener on a 2-run homer in the second inning. Cobber senior pitcher Abby Haraldson used the wind's force to keep the Auggie batters on edge. She finished with eight strikeouts which is the second highest conference game total for Haraldson this season.
Haraldson allowed eight hits in the game and retired nine of the 10 batters she faced in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.
The Cobbers closed the deficit to one run in the bottom of the third frame when Riley Bergstrom reached on a fielder's choice after Riley Irman led off the inning with a bunt single. Bergstrom then advanced to second on Brooke Ankerfelt's single and scored when Kayla Mack hit a single up the middle.
Concordia had six hits in the opener. The Cobbers had six players all collect a single base knock.
The Auggies took control of the second game by posting multiple-run innings in each of the first four frames including a 7-run fourth inning.
Concordia had six hits in Game 2 as well and were led by Nicole Johannes and Taylor Erholtz who both went 2-for-2. Erholtz drove in CC's lone run in the second inning when she came up with a double which scored Megan Gavin. The double was the lone extra-base hit for the Cobbers in the finale.
RILEY HIGH FIVES: Freshman Riley Bergstrom now owns the longest hitting and on-base streaks on the Cobbers. Bergstrom had a single in the first game and didn't have an official at-bat in Game 2. She has now reached safely in five straight games.
WHAT'S NEXT: Concordia will close out the 2018 season when they host Minn.-Morris in a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday, May 2. The Cougars are 11-27 on the year and are coming off a split against Martin Luther.
