Baseball 5/14/05 -- MIAC Playoffs -- Augsburg 9, Concordia-Moorhead 6 

GAME BOXSCORE 


DUNDAS, Minn. (5/14/05) -- Andrew Werner (Fr., Vermillion, Minn./Hastings HS) hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning to keep Augsburg College in the lead, and Tyler Kraft (So., Savage, Minn./Burnsville HS) pitched four-and-a-third innings of relief to pick up the win, as Augsburg remained alive in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs with a 9-6 win over Concordia College-Moorhead in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon at Dundas Memorial Park.

Werner, who started for Augsburg on the mound and finished as the designated hitter, went 3-for-5 at the plate, driving in five runs with his three-run homer and a two-run double.

With the win, Augsburg (24-17) remains alive in the tournament, but will have to beat St. Thomas (29-10), the MIAC's regular-season champions, twice in order to claim the MIAC playoff title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national playoffs. St. Thomas has yet to lose a game in the tournament, having beaten Augsburg and Concordia on Friday.

Augsburg took a 6-1 lead after three innings, but Concordia (18-21) rallied back with a four-run fifth frame to cut into the lead.

But with two outs in the sixth inning, Augsburg put two runners aboard, as Taylor Pagel (Sr., Cannon Falls, Minn.) reached on an error and Ricky Schreier (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall HS) walked. Werner then hit a line-drive homer down the left-field line, the first home run of the MIAC tournament.

Augsburg took an early lead, as John Rivers (So., New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Cooper HS) drove in a run on a fielder's choice and Brian Bambenek (So., St. Charles, Minn.) singled to plate another run in the second inning. Concordia cut the lead on a single by Ryan Emter (So., Miltona, Minn./Alexandria Jefferson HS) in the bottom of the frame.

Augsburg sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning, scoring four runs. A double by Troy Deden (Jr., Northfield, Minn.) drove in a run, followed by a run-scoring single by Schreier and a two-run double by Werner.

Concordia cut into the Auggie advantage in the fifth inning, scoring four runs while sending 10 batters to the plate. A two-run double by Scott Johnson (Jr., Le Sueur, Minn./Le Sueur-Henderson HS), a bases-loaded hit batter and a wild pitch plated four runs and drove Werner from the pitcher's mound.

Adam Johnson (So., Plymouth, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong HS), pitching in relief for the second day in a row, lasted just two-thirds of an inning before giving way to Kraft, who made his 23rd relief appearance of the season for the Auggies. Kraft pitched four-and-a-third innings for his second-longest relief stint of the season, striking out two while allowing one hit and an unearned run in the seventh inning, getting credit for the win.

Deden went 3-for-5 for the Auggies, while Schreier went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Bambenek and Jeff Stomberg (Fr., Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial HS) had two hits apiece.

Brian Knoblauch (So., St. Cloud, Minn./Cathedral HS) had two hits and scored a run for the Cobbers. Kevin Engebretson (So., Alexandria, Minn./Jefferson HS) started for the Cobbers, but lasted just two-and-a-third innings. Tieg Herman (So., Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS) pitched in long relief, with Matt McLeod (Sr., Fargo, N.D./Fargo South HS) finishing.