SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Under a crisp, sunny sky at Sioux Falls Stadium, the Cougars (29-26, 25-15 NSIC) closed the regular season with a heart-pounding 5-4 comeback victory over Concordia-St. Paul (21-29, 17-23 NSIC) on Senior Day. Noah Christenson, etched his name deeper into Cougar lore with a walk-off single in the ninth, his fourth career walk-off hit, sending the senior class and fans into a frenzy. The Cougars now turn their sights to the NSIC Tournament, hosted in Sioux Falls from May 7-10.
Game Recap: Sioux Falls 5, Concordia-St. Paul 4
Concordia-St. Paul struck first, scoring a run in the opening inning to take a 1-0 lead. They added two more in the second, pushing the advantage to 3-0. USF's bats, usually a crackling force, were quieted early by CSP's Ian Segna, who allowed just one hit through four innings.
The spark came in the fourth, when Ben Serie, the versatile senior who dazzled yesterday by playing every position, crushed a solo home run to left field, a towering blast that cut the gap to 3-1. CSP answered with a run in the fifth, stretching their lead to 4-1. Segna, followed by relievers Leo Bustos and Andrew Boeser, kept USF's offense at bay, and the game teetered on the edge of slipping away.
But Sioux Falls Stadium is a place of Cougar comebacks, and the seniors weren't ready to bow out quietly. In the eighth, William Edwards jolted the crowd with a triple to center, the ball caroming off the wall. Christenson followed, ripping a double to left that scored Edwards, narrowing the score to 4-2.
The ninth was pure drama, a page torn from a storybook. CSP's Fritz Meyer faltered, walking Iliff and Serie. Frank Vogel pinch-ran for Iliff, and Isaac Bonner stepped up, lacing a double to center that sent Vogel home and Serie to third. Jaxon Haase, still glowing from his 200-hit milestone, was intentionally walked, loading the bases. Jack Greenlun relieved Meyer, and Caden Ransom pinch-hit, grounding into a double play that advanced Bonner to third and Haase to second. Edwards drew a walk, reloading the bases with two outs.
Noah Christenson strode to the plate, the senior with ice in his veins. With a crack of his bat, Christenson sent a single screaming into left field, driving in Bonner and Haase for a 5-4 walk-off victory. The stadium erupted, teammates swarming Christenson at first base, seniors and underclassmen united in a moment of triumph. His fourth career walk-off hit was a fitting capstone to a Senior Day that won't soon be forgotten.
Eli Larson battled through five innings, allowing four runs, while relievers Jack Richeson, Jake Pruchniak, Reid Barnard, and Zach Peta threw four scoreless innings, with Peta (1-2) earning the win.
Up Next
The Cougars will turn their attention to the NSIC Conference Tournament, hosted right here in Sioux Falls. Games will begin next week on Wednesday, May 7th and finish on Sunday, May 10th. For the most up to date information on the NSIC tournament, head over to the 2025 NSIC Baseball Tournament page.
