Steldt’s 4 RBI, Parrent’s 8 Ks lead Baseball to victory

Box Score: CUW 7, JHU 5

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Concordia University Wisconsin received impressive pitching and timely hitting as it scored five runs in the fifth inning to earn a 7-5 non-conference victory over Johns Hopkins University on Friday morning at Snedigar Park during the RussMatt Greater Phoenix Invitational.

Harry Steldt laced a two RBI double down the right field line and Nick Doedens followed with a two RBI double of his own to left field in the fifth frame to give CUW all the runs they would need.

JHU (9-6-2) scored a trio of runs in the second inning before senior Matt Parrent (Kewaskum, Wis.) settled down and pitched three straight 1-2-3 innings. He fanned eight batters, including the rare four-strikeout inning, and walked just one in a winning effort. Andrew Mueller threw three scoreless innings to earn his first career save.

Doedens (senior, Germantown, Wis.) led all batters with three hits, while Steldt (sophomore, West Bend, Wis.) and senior Adam Martz (West Bend, Wis.) each recorded two hits. Senior Austin Sarauer (Campbellsport, Wis.) and Martz crossed the plate twice.

Jonathan Hettleman and J.R. Santaniello led the Blue Jays with two hits apiece and Craig Hoelzer scored twice.

Parrent (1-1) allowed five runs, three earned, during six innings of work. Mueller (sophomore, Horicon, Wis.) earned the save after allowing just two hits.

Mike Berliner (0-1) took the loss after giving up five runs, four earned, on eight hits. He struck out five, walked one and threw three wild pitches.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the second frame on their first three batters before Matt Ricci lined a RBI single to right field to score Scott Barrett. Following a Hettleman sacrifice fly to right field, JHU completed a successful double steal, scoring Santaniello, to take a 3-0 lead.

CUW (2-7) answered in the third frame when Steldt hit his first of two RBI doubles of the contest, which scored Sarauer and Martz.

Two innings later the Falcons piled on five runs to take a 7-3 lead. They batted around the order and recorded two doubles, two singles and a walk. Steldt took the fifth pitch of his at-bat and hit a bases clearing double down the right field line to score Martz and Sarauer.

The double forced a JHU pitching change, prior to Doedens fouling off four pitches and then hitting a two RBI bases clearing double to left field. CUW ended the scoring in the fifth with a Matt Schroeder (freshman, Mequon, Wis.) RBI single through the right side.

The Blue Jays scored twice in the top of the sixth to cut their deficit to 7-5. Santaniello hit a RBI single through the right side before Hoelzer scored on a wild pitch.

In the frame Parrent struck out four batters, but Jeff Lynch reached because of a passed ball. The 6-foot-3 righty was credited with three-consecutive strikeout to begin the inning before closing with a swinging strikeout.

Mueller entered in relief to start the seventh and pitched nine flyouts during his 12 batters faced.

CUW returns to Mequon, Wis., for its home opener on Monday at Kapco Park against Trinity International University. Game time has been pushed back from its original start time to 5 p.m. to accommodate the construction crew.