Baseball explodes for 21 runs in rout of No. 3 UW-Whitewater

WHITEWATER, Wis. – The bats for the Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team were alive on Tuesday. The Falcons scored 21 runs and collected 20 hits in a dominant win over the No. 3 ranked team in the country, UW-Whitewater. After a sweep last year, the Falcons have three straight wins over the Warhawks.

THE BASICS
- Final Score: Concordia Wisconsin 21, No. 3 UW-Whitewater 3
- Location: Prucha Field at James B. Miller Stadium – Whitewater, Wisconsin
- Records: CUW 12-7; UW-Whitewater 16-3

HOW IT HAPPENED
- After stranding two in the first inning, CUW didn't miss on its scoring chances the rest of the game. The Falcons scored five times in the second and also added big innings in the seventh and eighth innings, plating eight and four runs, respectively.

- Seven different Falcons recorded multiple hits in the win, led by Dan Ranieri (Loves Park, Ill.) and Isaac Tewes (Chaska, Minn.) who each collected four. Tewes had a two-RBI triple in the eighth as finished the game with three RBIs and four runs scored. Ranieri doubled to right in the second inning and finished the game with two runs and two RBIs.

- Matt Luft (Oshkosh, Wis.), Matt Schubert (West Bend, Wis.), Bryan Thomas (Lowell, Ind.), Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.) and Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) all added two hits for the Falcons. Each player from the one through seven spots in the order finished with two or more hits.

- Thomas drove in two runs and scored twice while Thyssen scored four times and tripled, adding to his school record count. Thyssen now has 16 triples in his career midway through his junior campaign.

- While the offense was the story, freshman Matthew Olig (Plymouth, Wis.) turned in an impressive performance on the mound in his second career start. Olig went seven innings and allowed just two runs, scattering five hits with three strikeouts. Niko Kutsulis (Homer Glenn, Ill.), Nick Hirst (Davenport, Iowa), and Kenny Meloy (Gilbert, Ariz.) combined for the final six outs in the lopsided victory.

- Kyle Washburn (Pleasant Prairie, Wis.) reached base three times in five trips with a hit and two walks from the nine spot in the order. Washburn also scored three runs while Schubert and Hilliard also crossed the plate safely a pair of times. Hilliard added a double for CUW.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The 21 runs scored is tied for the second-most in a game in contests dating back to the 2007 season. The Falcons plated 30 in a win on April 9, 2009, against Maranatha Baptist. The 20 hits are tied for eighth most in a game.

- CUW entered the season with a 6-15 record all-time against teams from the WIAC. The Falcons are 2-0 in such games this season, also beating UW-Oshkosh last week. Dating back to last season, CUW has won four straight against the WIAC, including a sweep over No. 11 UW-Whitewater last season.

- The Warhawks entered the game ranked third in the latest D3Baseball.com Top 25 poll.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons will look to carry momentum from today into Saturday's doubleheader against NACC-leading Concordia Chicago. First pitch from Kapco Park is set for noon.