Adams keeps Baseball alive in NACC Tournament with complete-game win

MEQUON, Wis. – If Friday was the last time senior Tyler Adams pitches in a Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball uniform then Adams surely went out with a bang. The right-hander tossed a complete game four-hitter in a 3-1 win over Aurora University Friday at the NACC Tournament to keep the Falcons season alive. CUW lost an earlier game by a 5-3 count against Benedictine at Kapco Park.

Adams (Jackson, Wis.) was masterful in throwing 91 pitches, while allowing just one run, which was unearned, for his fourth win of the season. He did not strike out a batter, while also not issuing a walk, but his ability to keep Aurora off balance kept the Falcons alive in the NACC Tournament.

The win of course wouldn't have come without the bat of freshman Michael Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.), who had a two-run inside-the-park home run to give the Falcons a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. Szeszol, who finished with a game-high three hits, took the first pitch from reliever Brent Bergeson to right field where a diving Aurora player missed the ball, allowing the speedy leadoff man to score, along with sophomore Matt Schubert (West Bend, Wis.).

The win advances the Falcons to Saturday, where they will await the loser of Benedictine and Concordia Chicago, a game that was pushed back to Saturday morning at 10 a.m. CUW will now play at 1 p.m. and if the Falcons win, they will play in the first championship contest at 4 p.m. A complete updated schedule can be found at the NACC Baseball Tournament page.

The Falcons jumped out to a lead against Aurora with an RBI sac fly from senior Brandon Seifert (Germantown, Wis.) in the third inning. Freshman Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.), who singled earlier in the inning, scored on Seifert's fly out.

Aurora would score its lone run, unearned, on a safety squeeze by Mike Cherven. The Spartans tried another squeeze play later in the inning, but were unsuccessful as Adams flipped to Hilliard for the tag out at home plate.

Tyler Findlay took the loss for Aurora, despite pitching very well for 6.2 innings. Findlay gave up two earned, while striking out two and walking a pair.

In the first game against Benedictine, a four-run sixth for the Eagles ultimately cost the Falcons, who led 3-0 heading into the frame.

Andrew Heideman (Bakersfield, Calif.) was rolling along until the sixth inning, where Benedictine would plate four of its five runs. Heideman still turned in a quality start for the Falcons, giving up just three earned runs in seven innings, while striking out six and not issuing a free pass. Junior Tyler Gross (Wauwatosa, Wis.) came on for the final two innings, not allowing a hit and striking out two.

Mike Irgang picked up the win for Benedictine, as he tossed eight innings and gave up three runs, two earned. All of the Falcons runs came in the first three innings, two in the first and one unearned score in the third.

The Falcons outhit the Eagles, thanks to multi-hit performances from senior Joel Sharon (Milwaukee, Wis.), freshman Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.), sophomore Mitchell Dubnicka (Hartland, Wis.) and Schubert. Thyssen also added to his school-record triples total with his 11th of the season.