Benedictine comes from behind twice, sweeps Baseball in NACC play

LISLE, Ill. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team saw a late lead disappear in both games of a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader Saturday as the Falcons were swept by Benedictine University.

In the opener the Eagles scored in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game at 2-2 and force extras. CUW appeared to have a grasp on a game one win by plating three in the top of the 12th, taking a 5-2 advantage but Benedictine came back once again, scoring four times without an out being recorded en route to the 6-5 game one win.

In game two CUW again built a lead, this time going up 6-3 after six complete. BenU proved to have one more rally in them, scoring three times in the seventh and twice more in the eighth, gaining the sweep with a 7-6 win.

Junior Joel Sharon (Glendale, Wis.) again turned in a quality start for the Falcons and again was not the winning pitcher. Sharon started game one and delivered 7.2 innings of one-run ball but saw a no decision thanks to the Eagles rally.

The Falcons offense pounded out 17 hits in the opener but left several on base and had some base running miscues as well. Junior Brandon Seifert (Germantown, Wis.) transitioned well into his new leadoff role, going 4-for-5, while senior Jay Kuczynski (Cedarburg, Wis.) added three hits and two RBIs. Freshman Matt Schubert (West Bend, Wis.) also tallied three hits, while senior Beau Burgert (Oshkosh, Wis.) and freshman Bryan Thomas (Lowell, Ind.) each collected a pair of hits.

Schubert didn't cool off at the plate in game two as the shortstop tallied another three-hit game, scoring two times. Freshman Luke Wirtz (Marshfield, Wis.) went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in game two, while Sharon finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.

Ryan Mullin of BenU had a big game two as he finished 3-for-4, including belting a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, making the score 6-5 at the time. Tim Hendricks added three hits for the Eagles in game two.

Junior Tyler Adams (Jackson, Wis.) stared the second game for the Falcons and left with a lead after delivering six innings, allowing four earned. Chris Jordan picked up the win for Benedictine, pitching 4.2 innings of relief, allowing one earned and striking out four. Spencer Lehmann was the game one winner after pitching BenU out of a jam in the twelfth with 2/3 of an inning pitched.

CUW (5-9, 1-5 NACC) will return to action tomorrow, hosting Aurora University in a NACC doubleheader. First pitch from Kapco Park is set for 12 p.m.