April 23, 2011 - While not as dramatic as a comeback from a 13-run deficit two weeks ago, the Concordia Cougars' game two performance against Dominican University brought about a big win and capped a very satisfying day of sports action at Concordia. The Cougars reeled off 16 unanswered runs over the span of four innings to defeat the Stars 16-6 after taking game one by a 9-3 score.
The Cougars found themselves in a 6-0 hole after 3 1/2 innings with the Stars tallying four times off of starter
Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) and twice more off reliever
Jake Mijares (Cicero, IL/Nazareth Academy). However, Concordia began to make some noise with three runs in the fourth.
Steve Brown (Naperville, IL/Naperville North) singled home the first run, and a pair of Dominican errors helped push the remaining two runs across.
Dominican starter Matt Dehn retired the first two batters in the fifth inning, but Brown's single and stolen base lit a fire under Concordia's offense.
Eric Ignatowski (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) and
Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) produced two-out singles to score runs and make it a 6-5 game.
Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant) then reached base when the first baseman misplayed his chopper. Instead of ending the inning, the error kept the door open for the Cougars who stormed through it.
Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) singled after going down 0-2 in the count, and Ignatowski and Skala scored for a 7-6 lead.
Ryan Pacyga (Forest Park, IL/Nazareth Academy) then hit a missile to the gap in left-center for a two-run triple.
Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) finished off the seven-run uprising with a single to right to score Pacyga for a 10-6 lead.
Concordia added an unearned run in the seventh and five more in the eighth to end the game on the 10-run rule. Once against, the fireworks began with the first two hitters being retired.
Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) singled and
Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) walked ahead of Ignatowski's second run-producing single. Skala then drove one to deep right that just missed being a homer but instead went for a triple as Schulz and Ignatowski scored.
Derek Binninger (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) laced a double down the leftfield line to score Skala for a 15-6 lead. Stephens followed with a single to short leftfield, and Binninger scored when the ball squirted past the charging fielder.
Freshman
Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) earned the win with four innings of shutout relief. Pawell allowed just two hits and one walk in recording his first decision in college ball.
The Cougars' game one victory came with catcher Skala continuing his torrid play of late. After the first two hitters reached base to start the first, Skala cranked out his sixth homer in the last seven days for a quick 3-0 lead. Coming up with the bases loaded in the second, he ripped a double to right for two more RBIs and a five-run cushion.
Stephens' leadoff homer in the fifth put the lead at 6-1. The Cougars added two more in the sixth on Stephens' RBI single and Gier's double, and a Weis sacrifice fly accounted for the final Cougar tally in the eighth.
Anthony Collaro (Melrose Park, IL/Walther Lutheran) scattered six hits while allowing just a single unearned run in picking up his fifth win of the season.
John Hurley (River Grove, IL/Fenwick) pitched the ninth inning and allowed the final two Stars' runs.
The Cougars (23-5, 12-0 NAC) return to action on Monday afternoon at 1:00 when they play Aurora University. The games will be played at Solfisburg Park.
