For the first time since Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8, 2014, the Shawnee State baseball program took a series from an opponent ranked inside the NAIA Top 25 as the Bears utilized a three-RBI performance from Diego Mendoza at the plate and clutch hitting throughout the victory -- scoring four of its six runs with two outs on the table -- in a 6-5 victory over No. 24 Concordia (Mich.) Monday afternoon at Branch Rickey Park in Portsmouth.

Shawnee State (4-9) collected its first series victory under first-year head coach Rob Ehlers in defeating Concordia, Mich. (6-2) by taking home the final two contests in the best-of-three series. The Bears also won the final contest between the two teams Sunday evening with a 6-2 victory in Game 2.

To speak further as to the significance of the series victory for Shawnee State, Concordia posted a 48-10 record in 2023 for its best overall mark in school history and made an NAIA Opening Round appearance, and this season, had five players hitting above .400 with an undefeated 5-0 overall record while outscoring its opposition by a 63-15 count coming into the three game set against SSU.

Starting things off right

Following a scoreless top half to begin the contest, the Bears immediately dented the scoreboard.

After a one-out shot to center field by Diego Mendoza and a walk by Noah Sniadach that resulted in Mendoza advancing to third base following a passed ball, Eric Oakes launched a sacrifice fly RBI that Oakes ended up reaching base on anyway after the ball was dropped. Pinch runner Eli Jones came around to score on the sequence, giving Shawnee State a 1-0 advantage after the opening inning of action.

Answering through adversity

While a balk and an RBI groundout allowed Concordia to retake a 2-1 advantage after the top half of the fourth frame of work, Shawnee State proceeded to answer in a big way.

Luis Mejia got the bottom of the fourth started off right with a single, and after an error and a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Lund that allowed Mejia and Ryan Scott to move over to second and third, the Bears struck in a big way as Mendoza came up huge with a two-out, two-run single to center field to score Mejia and Scott and give Shawnee State a 3-2 lead after the fourth inning of play.

Then in the bottom of the fifth, Shawnee State added in two key insurance runs -- as following a fly out and a one-out fielder's choice that nabbed the lead runner, the Bears got a single to center by Mejia followed by a double to the edge of the left center field grass by Ryan Scott, allowing both Mejia and Hunter Warner to score as the Bears expanded their lead to a 5-2 margin.

Closing the deal

Concordia senior infielder Drew Fleming launched a solo home run to right field in the seventh to cut the gap slightly to a 5-3 count, but in the eighth inning, Shawnee State's Tyler Lund blasted a triple to the right field corner -- and two batters later, Mendoza's RBI double to left center field allowed Lund to score easily as SSU took a 6-3 lead. Fleming added another jack -- a two-run bomb -- in the ninth frame to cut the Bears' lead to a 6-5 cushion, but Concordia's late rally wouldn't be enough as Shawnee State reliever Ryan Scott recovered to pick up the save by collecting a fly out, a line out and a ground out en route to preserving the victory.

Additional

Along with Scott, Shawnee State starting pitcher Jaxon Craig and SSU relievers Dylan Bernard and Trent Tice combined to throw seven-and-a-third innings of three-hit baseball Sunday afternoon, allowing just four hits while striking out eight.

In Game 3, Mendoza went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI, Mejia went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, Scott went 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored and Gaspar went 2-for-2 with a double that narrowly missed being a batter's eye home run.

For the series, Mendoza (4-for-9, three doubles, four RBI) and Gaspar (4-for-10, three doubles, RBI, run scored) led the offensive production.

Shawnee State (4-9) will take on Indiana-Southeast (5-9) to open up River States Conference play Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2.

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