Baseball drops a pair of games to NAC-leading Concordia Chicago

MEQUON, Wis. – Concordia University Chicago used a five-run inning in each game to sweep Concordia University Wisconsin in a Northern Athletics Conference Baseball doubleheader Sunday afternoon. The Cougars won the opener 7-3 before taking game two, 5-3.

In game one it was the Falcons who jumped on the board first as they plated a pair in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Joel Sharon (Glendale, Wis.) put CUW up 1-0 by singling in senior Daniel Mueller (West Bend, Wis.) and then Sharon later scored on a RBI single from freshman Nick Yenter (Rosholt, Wis.).

The 2-0 lead would hold until the bottom of the third when CUC exploded for five runs. Thomas Gier had the big hit of the inning when he belted a three-run home run over the right field wall. The Cougars would then add two more in the seventh, expanding their lead to 7-2.

CUW (12-23, 10-10 NAC) would score once in the top of the ninth as Mueller scored on an RBI groundout, but the Cougars would record the final out later in the frame and go on for the 7-3 game one victory. Kurt Kempena picked up the win as he threw six innings in relief allowing one run, while sophomore Tyler Adams (Jackson, Wis.) took the loss despite allowing no earned runs in 2.2 innings pitched.

Mueller paced the CUW offense in game one as he tallied four hits from the leadoff spot, while Sharon, Yenter and junior Jay Kuczynski (Cedarburg, Wis.) all added two hits. Gier led the Cougars with two hits and three-RBIs.

In game two CUC (27-5, 16-4 NAC) jumped on the board right away with a five-run first inning, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Tony Barreto.

That would be all the scoring the host Cougars would do in the second game but it proved to be enough as they held on for a 5-3 victory. Sharon scored in the second for CUW, while freshman Brock Bateman (Pewaukee, Wis.) roped a two-RBI double in the seventh inning.

Sharon finished the second contest with three hits, including a triple, while Mueller added two more hits, totaling six in the doubleheader. Sophomore Michael Winter (Cedarburg, Wis.) took the loss as he went 2.2 innings. Sophomore Michael Klaver (Germantown, Wis.) pitched well in relief for the Falcons, tossing 5.1 innings of scoreless ball and allowing just two hits.

CUC was led by the pitching performance of C.J. Selner as he tossed seven innings, allowing seven hits and striking out four. Steve Cox pitched the ninth inning as he recorded his ninth save of the season.

The Falcons will be back in action Tuesday when they visit Carthage College for a single game beginning at 5 p.m. CUW will then play Carthage on Wednesday at home for another single game at 6 p.m. before closing out the regular season with a conference doubleheader against Marian University Saturday at Kapco Park.