Seward, Nebraska — Dordt baseball continued GPAC play on the road at #24 Concordia on Friday, defeated by the Bulldogs 3-1 in game 1, and falling 6-5 in game two.
In game 1, the Defenders got on the board early with Austin Pullar’s leadoff double followed by a wild pitch gave Dordt a 1-0 lead in the top of the 1st inning.
Dordt’s Gyeongju Kim did not allow a hit until the bottom of the 5th inning, when Concordia’s Keaton Candor reached on a leadoff single.
In the top of the 6th with a 1-0 lead, John Emerson hit a single to left field for the Defenders, followed by a double for Logan Cline to put two runners in scoring position. The next two batters struck out, and Concordia got out of the inning with the score unchanged.
With two outs in the bottom of the 6th, the Bulldogs put three runs on the board as a double followed by an error tied the game. The next two runs came on the following at-bat as Joey Grabanski hit a double down the left field line, giving Concordia a 3-1 lead.
In the final inning, three Defenders at the plate each drew a walk, loading the bases with one out. The next two outs were earned on a flyout and a fielder’s choice, ending the game in a 3-1 win for Concordia.
In game two, the Defenders were first to score once again, as John Emerson hit a one-out double and was brought in on the RBI from Chase Edwards.
Concordia answered in the bottom half of the 1st, with Jesse Garcia hitting a double with a man on base to tie the game. Later in the inning, Beau Dorman hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Garcia to score and give Concordia their first lead of the game.
Garcia then added to Concordia’s lead in the next inning, hitting a single into center field that gave the Bulldogs their third run.
Neither team scored again until the 7th, when Concordia extended their lead to 6-1 on three hits.
In the top of the 8th inning, Aaron Eshelman was hit by a pitch, followed by a single for Austin Pullar. Emerson then drove in Eshelman on a single to right field, cutting the deficit to 4. With two runners in scoring position, Chase Edwards doubled, allowing both Emerson and Pullar to cross home plate.
The Defenders added one more run in the top of the 9th to come within one, but Concordia forced out the runner at second to secure the win.
Chase Edwards went 3-4 with 3 RBI, John Emerson scored 2 runs on 3-5 hitting, and Aaron Eshelman went 1-3 with 1 run scored.
