Baseball takes two from No. 8 Concordia Chicago in NACC twinbill

MEQUON, Wis.- The Concordia University Wisconsin Baseball team was eager to get out on the field after a week off following a disappointing performance last week against Marian. The Falcons showed just how eager they were in sweeping the No. 8 team in the country, five-time defending NACC champion Concordia Chicago Friday at Kapco Park. CUW scored the winning runs in the eighth in both games, taking game one 6-4 and the nightcap 11-10.

THE BASICS
- Final Scores: CUW 6, CUW 4; CUW 11, CUC 10
- Location: Kapco Park – Mequon, Wisconsin
- Records: CUW 13-10, 3-4 NACC; CUC 17-7, 4-2 NACC

CUW 6, CUC 4
- The Falcons won the game with small ball in the eighth inning in game one, scoring two runs on zero hits, but bunting three times in the frame. The go-ahead run came on a squeeze by Christian Gerner (Mequon, Wis.), scoring Kyle Hilliard (Oak Forest, Ill.). Pinch runner Matt Luft (Oshkosh, Wis.) made the score 6-4 when he scored on a wild pitch later in the inning.

- Scott Plachinski (South Milwaukee, Wis.) had a big day for the Falcons and it started with 2.2 scoreless frames in the opener in his second win of the season. He came on in relief of Andrew Gibbons (Markesan, Wis.) who allowed four runs in 6.1 innings of work.

- The Falcons totaled seven hits in the opener, two from Dan Ranieri (Loves Park, Ill.). Michael Szeszol (Lake Bluff, Ill.) delivered a two-RBI ground-rule double in the third inning as well for the Falcons.

- CUW trailed 4-1 after a four-run third for the Cougars but the Falcons responded with two in the bottom of the third and one in the fourth to tie the game, 4-4. CUW did a great job of holding a potent CUC offense in game one, shutting the Cougars out in eight-of-nine frames.

- The Falcons defense also played well behind Gibbons and Plachinski, highlighted by Gerner who made back-to-back outstanding plays at short in the sixth inning. Kyle Washburn (Pleasant Prairie, Wis.) had a strong game at second base as well.

CUW 11, CUC 10
- Game two was a wild affair which saw 21 runs scored and 28 hits between the two teams. The Falcons, who trailed 8-4 after two-and-a-half innings, scored three times in the third to make the score 8-7. CUC went up 10-7 with two in the fifth before the Falcons plated two in the sixth. CUW would go ahead in the eighth with two runs.

- Gerner tied the game with an RBI double in the eighth and Ranieri gave the Falcons the lead on an RBI infield single. Plachinski came on to the close the door in the ninth as the closer created some work for himself with a leadoff hit batsman. CUC loaded the bases with one out but Plachinski got a groundout and a flyout to secure the sweep.

- Gerner and Ranieri led the way at the plate with three hits each as Gerner and Peter Scott (Dayton, Nev.) each doubled in the win. Scott and Washburn scored three times, while Nathan Thyssen (Appleton, Wis.) drove in a team-best three runs. Justin Barney and Ranieri added two RBI in the win.

- Tyler Moilanen (Pleasant Prairie, Wis.) picked up the win by throwing a scoreless eighth inning. Drew Underwager (South Elgin, Ill.) threw well in relief as well for CUW, tossing four innings and giving up two runs.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- It was the first time CUC was swept by a NACC opponent since May 7, 2016. Benedictine took two from the Cougars that day.

- It was the first time CUW had swept Concordia Chicago since April 11, 2010. The Falcons won two games at home, 3-1, and 2-1.

UP NEXT
- The Falcons will have a quick turnaround as they take on Lakeland tomorrow in a NACC doubleheader beginning at noon.