Baseball posts second straight NACC split in twinbill with Wisconsin Lutheran

MEQUON, Wis. – Much like Sunday, the Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team couldn't build of a game one win in a NACC doubleheader. This time around, the Falcons split with Wisconsin Lutheran, taking the opener 10-2 before dropping game two, 3-2.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: CUW 10, WLC 2 (Game 1); WLC 3, CUW 2 (Game 2)
- Location: Kapco Park – Mequon, Wis.
- Records: CUW 7-9, 2-2 NACC; WLC 6-11, 1-1 NACC

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- In game one, CUW took advantage of three walks and a hit batsmen, as well as a two-RBI single from sophomore Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.) to build a 5-0 lead in the first. Junior Mitchell Dubnicka (Hartland, Wis.) added a RBI double in the frame for the Falcons.

- CUW would extend its lead to 7-1 after two as junior Isaac Tewes (Chaska, Minn.) and senior Nate Van Ells (Greendale, Wis.) drove in runs in the second.

- The rest of the story for game one was about the Falcons pitching. Junior Andrew Heideman (Bakersfield, Calif.) got the win, striking out seven in six quality innings. Heideman gave up two runs, one earned and scattered 11 hits. He worked his way out of a few jams, including a bases loaded, one-out scare in the first.

- Sophomore Andrew Gibbons (Markesan, Wis.) took over from there, continuing his strong stretch to start the season. Gibbons tossed three nearly perfect innings, allowing just one Warrior to reach via a walk. Gibbons now has a 0.00 ERA through seven-plus innings this season.

- Sophomore Dan Ranieri (Loves, Park, Ill.) and Dubnicka paced CUW with two hits. Ranieri scored three times, while he Van Ells and Hilliard all drove in two runs.

- Brock Vredeveld, Jake Grollo and KJ Banse had two hits each for the Warriors in game one. Connor Rosin took the loss for WLC, throwing five innings and allowing seven runs, five earned.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- It was a déjà vu feeling for the Falcons in game two, as just like a season ago, Wisconsin Lutheran earned the split thanks to a strong performance on the mound by Brock Vredeveld. Vredeveld threw a complete game for the Warriors, allowing five hits and giving up the two runs.

- Sophomore Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) tied the CUW career triples record in the game for the Falcons, hitting his 14th. Thyssen has accomplished the feat in just one-and-a-half seasons. It seems likely he will shatter the record by the end of his career in a Falcons uniform.

- Freshman Seth Hougesen (Indianapolis, Ind.) took the loss for CUW, lasting four innings. The quartet of Eric Dubek (Lockport, Ill.), Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis.), Tyler Gross (Wauwatosa, Wis.) and Mike Madgziarz (Frankfort, Ill.) kept WLC off the board for the final five innings.

- The Falcons had a 1-0 lead after two, but the Warriors answered with a run in the third and two in the fourth. CUW would score on an RBI double by Dubnicka, scoring Matt Schubert (West Bend, Wis.), who tripled, in the fifth, but the rest of the game saw zeroes on the scoreboard.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons will take on UW-Oshkosh in a rescheduled game tomorrow at 4 p.m. The game has been moved to Kapco Park and CUW will now be the home team.