April 9, 2011 - In recent years, baseball games between Concordia and Edgewood College tended to be rather high-scoring affairs. But today, while the Cougar hitters came through with some clutch hits, it was the pitching and defense that took center stage in leading Concordia to a doubleheader sweep by scores of 6-4 and 6-0.
In game one, Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) improved to 3-0 on the season with 7 1/3 innings of quality work. The Cougars gave Schulz a 1-0 lead when they loaded the bases to start the fourth. Ryan Pacyga(Forest Park, IL/Nazareth Academy) then poked the ball between third and short to score Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) and move the other runners up 90 feet. However, the Eagles turned a 5-2-3 double play moments later and were able to escape the inning with just the one run.
Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) doubled to begin the fifth, and Schulz followed with a single and moved up on an errant throw. The Cougars then executed some good fundamental baseball with Eric Ignatowski (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) and Skala grounding out to score the runners and put Concordia on top 3-0.
Edgewood got on the board with a run in the seventh, but Concordia answered with two in the eighth. An errant pick-off throw scored Robert Frampton (North Riverside, IL/Riverside-Brookfield) who had entered the game as a pinch-runner and stole second and third bases. Later in the inning, Pacyga's second RBI single of the day stretched the lead to 5-1.
The Eagles rallied in the eighth, fueled by a controversial call at first base to start the inning. They bunched four hits together to score three times and put a runner on third with two out. However, Pat Conlin (Arlington Heights, IL/Rolling Meadows) relieved Schulz and stranded the runner by getting a grounder to short.
Schulz, who remained in the game as the designated hitter, led off the ninth with a single and made second when the fielder overran the ball. Ignatowski then sacrificed Schulz to third, and Schulz scored as the pitcher's throw sailed past the first baseman. Concordia led 6-4, and Conlin shut the door in the ninth with two grounders and a strikeout to record his third save of the year.
Five Cougar pitchers combined for the shutout in the nightcap. Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) battled through illness over the first five innings, scattering five hits but helping himself with three double plays. The Cougar defense ranged from steady to spectacular, the latter demonstrated by Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) backhanding a ball up the middle and making a strong throw to first for the out.
Weis gave Cox the only run he needed in the first when he singled and later scored on a two-out single up the middle by Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden). The Cougars added two more runs in the third when Skala cracked a triple to center to drive home Schulz and Weis.
Joe Romano's (Norridge, IL/Notre Dame) first career homer to lead off the fourth made it a 4-0 lead. The Cougars added their final two runs in the sixth on an errant throw and a single to rightfield by Weis.
The Cougar bullpen was stellar in relief of Cox. Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) took over to start the sixth and retired all four batters he faced. Ryan Ganther (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) recorded the final two outs of the seventh. John Hurley (River Grove, IL/Fenwick) set down the Eagles in order in the eighth, and Tim Milroy (Batavia, IL/Marmion Academy) ended matters in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts.
Concordia will play its first two home games of the season on Sunday afternoon when they battle Concordia Wisconsin.
