Pioneers Fall in Opener

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The Basics
Score: MNU 2 - Concordia 4
Record: MNU (39-15) - CU (39-9)
Location: Brown Park - Omaha, Neb.

OMAHA, Neb. - The Pioneers fell into the loser's bracket after a 4-2 loss to Concordia in the Opening Round of Nationals on Monday. The Bulldogs scored a single run in the top of the 3rd, then a 2-run homer in the top of the 4th made it 3-0. Another run crossed in the top of the 5th, and MNU couldn't dig out of the hole. With 2 outs and nobody on in the bottom of the 6th, Adam Rellihan doubled and Joshuan Sandoval walked. Daunte Freeman's single made it 4-1, but a strikeout ended the threat. In the bottom of the 8th, the Pioneers again mounted a 2-out threat. Sandoval singled and Freeman doubled to make it 4-2 and bring the tying run to the plate, but a grounded sent the game to the 9th. The Pioneers brought the tying run to the plate again in the 9th after a Randy Fernandez single, but a sharp groundout ended the game.

Turning Point
Concordia's 2-run homer in the 4th proved to be the difference.

Individual Leaders
Jhon Vargas struck out 6 in 6 innings. Eric Navarette struck out 5 in 3 innings of hitless and scoreless relief. And Joshuan Sandoval (2-3, BB) and Daunte Freeman (2-4, 2B, 2 RBI) had 2 hits apiece.

Up Next
The next game is Tuesday vs. St. Xavier (32-26) in an elimination game at 11:00. The winner plays again at 6:00.