Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer
Photo by Trey Cox
Photo by Trey Cox

Baseball sweeps twinbill from Macalester to close Arizona trip

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team closed out its 10-game Arizona spring trip with a doubleheader against a 2017 NCAA Tournament team, battling Macalester twice on Saturday. The Falcons picked up two big wins, rallying to force extra innings in game one and walking off with a walk for a 4-3 win before hitting their way to an 13-4 win in the second game.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores:
CUW 4, Macalester 3 (F/10);  CUW 13, Macalester 4
- Location: Kino Sports Complex – Tucson, Arizona
- Records: CUW 8-5; Macalester 7-7

CUW 4, MACALESTER 3 (F/10)
- The Falcons came from behind for an extra-innings win in game one. CUW trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the seventh (the game was scheduled for seven innings). The Falcons put two runners on via walk before Dan Ranieri (Loves Park, Ill.) and Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.) delivered back-to-back singles to tie the game. With runners at the corners and one out, Macalester got an inning-ending double play to force extras.

- CUW had chances in each extra inning, but finally put the game away in the 10th on a walk-off walk. With one out, two walks and a base hit from Charlie Rodriguez (Tinley Park, Ill.) set the stage for Thyssen whose walk scored Eric Paz (Kenosha, Wis.)

- Michael Enriquez (Chicago, Ill.) got the win, throwing three scoreless frames in relief for the Falcons. He scattered three hits and struck out one while throwing 28 of his 40 pitches for strikes. Alex Prickett (Cedarburg, Wis.) turned in a quality start for the Falcons, throwing seven innings and allowing three earned with three strikeouts.

- The Scots best chance for a run in extras came in the top of the ninth. With two outs and a runner on first, Macalester delivered a deep fly ball to left center but Michael Szeszol made a diving grab to keep the game tied 3-3. 

- Ranieri finished the game with two RBI while Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.) collected two hits to pace the offense. CUW walked nine times and was hit by five pitches in the game. Falcons pitchers issued four walks with no hit batsmen.

- Graham Low led Macalester in the opener with three hits, including a solo home run in the sixth. Joe Trier threw five strong innings for the Scots, allowing one earned. Jacob Simpson took the loss, firing the last 4.1 innings.

CUW 13, MACALESTER 4
- The Falcons jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second game, scoring two times in the first and adding a run in the top of the second. A 3-run home run for the Scots in the bottom of the second tied the game, but CUW broke things open with a five-run third inning.

- CUW used a balanced attack as all nine starters collected at least one hit, resulting in a total 14. The Falcons got excellent production from Ranieri and Thyssen, each player collecting three hits. Hilliard drove in four runs and totaled two hits, one an RBI double. Thyssen scored four times while Rodriguez scored twice from the leadoff spot. Matt Luft (Oshkosh, Wis.) collected two hits and walked twice for the Falcons. Peter Scott (Dayton, Nev.) added a two-RBI pinch-hit double for the Falcons in the convincing win.

- Bradlee Sumner (Ocala, Fla.) picked up his first career win for the Falcons. Sumner threw six innings and allowed just three hits while striking out four. Scott Plachinski (South Milwaukee, Wis.) came on for the seventh for the Falcons.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons are scheduled for the 2018 home opener next Friday, March 23 at 3 p.m. against Northland. CUW is also scheduled to host Ripon next Saturday at 1 p.m.