Eight-run sixth lifts Baseball to rout of Carroll

WAUKESHA, Wis. – An eight-run sixth inning helped the Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball roll past Carroll University, 15-2, Wednesday night in non-conference action. The Falcons finished with 14 hits and scored 13 of their 15 runs over their final three at bats in the convincing win over the Pioneers. The game ended in eight innings due to the 10-run rule.

Junior Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis.) tossed six strong innings for the Falcons on Wednesday, while punching out a season-best eight batters in his second win of the season. Ruppel allowed just one run in his six innings of work, while scattering six hits.

The Falcons offense was paced by freshman Michael Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.) as he continued to impress from the leadoff spot in the order. Szeszol was 5-for-6 in the game with four runs scored. He added an RBI and a stolen base in the 13-run victory.

The game was tight, with CUW holding just a 2-0 lead, until the top of the sixth inning. That is when the Falcons sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight times, breaking open a 10-0 lead. The Falcons were aided by a pair of Pioneer errors in the inning, but did receive key two-RBI singles from freshmen Noah Greenberg (Libertyville, Ill.) and Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) in the eight-run frame. Greenberg finished the contest 4-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored.

Carroll would score once in the bottom of the sixth and the teams exchanged runs in the seventh before the Falcons added four in the eight for the easy victory. CUW had just one hit in the eighth inning as Carroll pitchers struggled with their control, throwing several wild pitches and walking three batters in addition to one hit batsmen. The Pioneers also committed an error in the eighth, one of six in the game compared to just one for the Falcons defense.

Junior Tanner Seitzinger (Bridgeport, Ill.) and senior Michael Winter (Cedarburg, Wis.) also saw action on the mound for the Falcons. Seitzinger recorded one strikeout, while Winter pitched 1.2 perfect innings, striking out three of his five batters faced.

The Pioneers staff struggled Wednesday night as they issued 10 walks in coughing up 15 runs. Just six of the Falcons runs were earned in the game, while they struck out just three times against Pioneers pitching. Taylor Paepke paced Carrol's offense with a 2-for-2 performance off the bench.

Seven different Falcons finished with hits in the game, led by Szeszol and Greenberg's multi-hit games. The duo combined for nine of the Falcons 14 hits. Adding singles was Thyssen, senior Brandon Seifert (Germantown, Wis.), senior Joel Sharon (Milwaukee, Wis.), freshman Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.) and freshman Matt Luft (Oshkosh, Wis.). Sharon scored a pair of runs, as did sophomore Matt Schubert (West Bend, Wis.).

The Falcons (14-13) will return to play Saturday afternoon in a non-conference home game against Maranatha Baptist. First pitch from Kapco Park is set for 1 p.m.