April 20, 2011 - Catcher Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) blasted two more homeruns and drove in eight runs to lead the Concordia Cougars to their 11th straight win, a 15-4 pounding of Wheaton College in non-conference play this afternoon.

 

Skala has five homers and 15 RBIs over his last three games, and head coach Adam Smith says that "Nick is as hot as any hitter I've ever seen. He is really locked in, hitting the ball to all fields and doing a fantastic job not only at the plate but behind the plate too."

 

The Cougars entered today's game having scored 71 runs in their last four games and, while they may not have needed the help, a couple of early errors by the Thunder aided in the scoring. With two out in the first, Skala singled between third and short. Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant) then singled to rightfield. When the ball got past the outfielder, Skala raced all the way around to give Concordia the early 1-0 lead.

 

A leadoff error in the second inning opened the door for a big five-run inning. Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) sacrificed Ryan Pacyga (Forest Park, IL/Nazareth Academy) to second. Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) and Shawn Miller (Pleasanty Prairie, WI/Tremper) followed with consecutive bunt singles, the latter scoring Pacyga. After a walk to Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) loaded the bases. Eric Ignatowski (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Eichholzer for a 3-0

lead. The out not recorded at the start of the inning came back to haunt Wheaton as Skala ripped a 1-2 pitch to rightfield that cleared the fence for a three-run shot and a 6-0 lead.

 

Wheaton scored in the fourth on a two-run homer by Justin Zeller, but Concordia answered in the bottom of the inning. Miller led off with a sharp single, and Ignatowski drew a one-out walk. Wheaton went to the bullpen with John Pohl replacing starter Jimmy McDonald. but Skala worked a full count before going deep to right-center for his second three-run blast and a 9-2 lead. The Cougars added a run with two out when Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) was hit by a pitch. Pacyga was next up, and his fly to center sent the outfielder back toward the fence. However, the fielder had trouble with the wind, and his diving attempt at the ball missed. Pacyga steamed into second with a double as Stephens scored.

 

The Thunder pushed across a run in the fifth on Brian Whartnaby's double, but the Cougars expanded their lead into double digits when they came to bat. Two hit batsmen and a walk loaded the bases. Ignatowski drove in a run with a single that fell between the shortstop and the two charging outfielders. Skala was next, and he drove home his seventh and eighth runs of the game with a shot down the leftfield line for a double. An infield out and a sacrifice fly completed the five-run inning and put Concordia up 15-3.

 

Schulz's mound work was done after pitching five innings, allowing three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. Wheaton scratched across a run in the sixth off of Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford), but John Hurley (River Grove, IL/Fenwick) and Ryan Ganther (Racine, WI/Racine Lutheran) shut the door on the visitors, and the game was ended after the top of the seventh on the 10-run rule.

 

Concordia (20-4), currently ranked 16th in the American Baseball Coaches Association poll, will face 10th-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater in a single game on the Warhawks' field Thursday afternoon.