April 6, 2011 - It's no stretch to say that the Concordia Cougars have had few wins like today's second game of their Northern Athletics Conference doubleheader at Lakeland College. After Concordia took game one 7-5, the Cougars and Muskies battled through eight scoreless innings of the nightcap before 10 unearned runs in the top of the ninth enabled Concordia to complete the sweep by a 10-0 score.

 

Micah Buss (Columbus, IN/Columbus North) was at the top of his game, blanking Lakaland on six hits through eight innings. Buss fanned six, walked none and worked his way out of a jam in the sixth that was set up by a leadoff two-base error. The runner got to third with one out, but Buss retired the next two hitters on a strikeout and a fly to left.

 

Lakeland starter Andrew Mueller hurled seven shutout innings but escaped a huge jam in the top of the seventh. Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) drew a leadoff walk, and Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) bunted for a base hit. Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) bunted to move the runners along, but the throw to third was late and everyone was safe. Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) followed with a fly to short right that fell in front of the fielder. However, Weis had paused at third not certain if the ball would be caught and was forced out at the plate by a strong throw. Conversely, Eichholzer took off when the ball was hit and was tagged out by the catcher for an unusual double play. Mueller then retired Eric Ignatowski (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) on a fly to left to keep the game scoreless.

 

The strangeness of the seventh inning was nothing compared to what happened in the ninth. Derek Binninger (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) singled off of reliever David Novak and was taken down for pinch-runner Steve Brown (Naperville, IL/Naperville North) who promptly stole second. Weis singled Brown to third and, after Weis stole second, Eichholzer was intentionally walked to load the bases. After Novak retired Miller on an infield pop-up, Schulz hit a grounder to the second baseman. The throw to home was off-target as Brown scored the game's first run. Ignatowski's fly to center, which should have been the third out of the inning, instead scored Weis from third. A passed ball scored the third run of the inning, and Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) made it a 4-0 game with a run-scoring double to center.

 

A walk and infield single loaded the bases again, and Ryan Pacyga (Forest Park, IL/Nazareth Academy) drew a walk to force in the fifth run. A ground ball to shortstop was then misplayed, allowing two more runs to cross the plate. Eichholzer's two-run double and Miller's RBI single completed the 10-run outburst. Tim Milroy (Batavia, IL/Marmion Academy) took the mound in the bottom of the inning and, after allowing a leadoff single, retired the next three batters to end the game and put the Cougars at 4-0 in conference play.

 

The Cougars found the going tough against the Muskies in game one despite taking a 3-0 lead. Thomas Gier's (Fox Lake, IL/Grant) two-out double in the first opened the scoring. Weis singled home a run in the fourth, and Eichholzer made it 3-0 moments later as his bunt single brought home Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) who had singled.

 

Lakeland fought back with four runs off of starter Anthony Collaro (Melrose Park, IL/Walther Lutheran), all of them unearned after a two-out error at third base. The Muskies followed with four hits to take a 4-3 lead.

 

Stephens' double drew the Cougars even in the fifth, and Schulz's sacrifice fly the following inning let Concordia regain the lead at 5-4. Weis added an RBI groundout to short in the seventh for a two-run lead.

 

The Muskies scored a run in the eighth off of reliever Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford), but Pat Conlin (Arlington Heights, IL/Rolling Meadows) got the last out of the inning, stranding two runners. The Cougars added an insurance run in the top of the ninth on a walk to Robert Frampton (North Riverside, IL/Riverside-Brookfield), a single by Binninger and a sacrifice fly by Weis.

 

Collaro improved to 3-0 with seven innings of six-hit ball and no earned runs. Conlin recorded his second save with two strikeouts over 1 1/3 innings.

 

The Cougars will play two at Edgewood College on Saturday before returning home Sunday to host Concordia Wisconsin in a doubleheader.