Baseball run rules Lakeland twice in NACC sweep

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team had all facets of its game working on Saturday as the Falcons dealt Lakeland College a pair of defeats via run rules in a NACC sweep. CUW won the opener 10-0 in seven innings before taking game two by a 14-0 score, also in seven.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: Concordia Wisconsin 10, Lakeland 0 (F/7 – Game 1); Concordia Wisconsin 14, Lakeland 0 (F/7 – Game 2)
- Location: Muskie Baseball Field – Sheboygan, Wis.
- Records: Concordia Wisconsin 15-13, 8-4 NACC; Lakeland 8-17, 4-8 NACC

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS
- Senior Tyler Gross (Wauwatosa, Wis.) delivered a four-hit shutout for the Falcons in the opener. Gross went the distance, allowing four hits and walking four, while striking out one in his second win of 2016.

- The Falcons used four-run innings in the fourth and seventh for a majority of their offense. CUW added runs in in the fourth and sixth innings. Sophomore Dan Ranieri (Loves Park, Ill.) belted his first career collegiate home run in the win, a solo shot in the sixth.

- Sophomore Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.) continued his hot streak at the plate, pacing the Falcons with three hits, including a double. Hilliard also scored once and drove in a run. Sophomore Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) added two hits, including a double, while scoring once and driving in a run.

- Adding two hits for the Falcons was junior Bryan Thomas (Lowell, Ind.) who finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Leadoff man, junior Matt Schubert (West Bend, Wis.) and junior Isaac Tewes each drove in two for the Falcons.

- All nine of the Falcons in the starting lineup scored in the opener providing a balanced attack. CUW also got hits from seven of nine players in the 10-0 win.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS
- Freshman Seth Hougesen (Indianapolis, Ind.) picked up his first career win in a Falcons uniform with a complete game effort. Hougesen fanned nine, while allowing five hits in the shutout victory.

- The Falcons scored in five of seven innings, including a six-run third. Six players scored two runs each for the Falcons: Ranieri, Thyssen, Hilliard, Tewes, senior Nate Van Ells (Greendale, Wis.) and sophomore Michael Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.).

- Hilliard again collected three hits for CUW, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Schubert drove in two runs, while Szeszol finished the game 2-for-3 with a double, triple and two-RBI. Junior Luke Wirtz (Marshfield, Wis.) added a solo home run in his only at bat, coming in the seventh inning.

- Junior Mitchell Dubnicka (Hartland, Wis.) drove in two runs and doubled, while Tewes added a double for CUW.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- Over the past three games (two today, Maranatha Friday) CUW has allowed no runs. The Falcons have held their opponents scoreless for 23 consecutive innings, allowing just nine hits.

UP NEXT
- CUW will look to keep things rolling in a NACC doubleheader against Benedictine tomorrow. First pitch from Kapco Park is set for noon.