May 9, 2011 - The Concordia Cougars' final test of the regular-season came against the 2010 defending Division III champion Illinois Wesleyan University. The two high-powered teams engaged in an intense and low-scoring battle, the latter a surprise with the wind blowing out to left at IWU's Horenberger Field. But, in the end, the Cougars prevailed on the strength of a three-run eighth inning to defeat the Titans by a score of 3-1.
The pitchers controlled the early innings. Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) allowed just three baserunners through the first three innings. Meanwhile, the Cougars had four hits through three off Titans starter Philip Kerber but were unable to push anyone past first base. Concordia finally got a runner into scoring position in the fourth as Steve Brown (Naperville, IL/Naperville North) singled with two out and stole second base. However, Kerber retired Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) on a close play at first to end the threat.
A leadoff four-pitch walk to Mark McDermott produced the first run of the game. Jeff Grodecki followed with a very high fly to leftfield which the wind pushed away from Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford). The ball got down for a double as McDermott came around to score. Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) saved further trouble later in the inning when he dove to his left to snare a potential RBI single. Cox retired the next batter to keep the score Titans 1, Cougars 0.
Both teams continued to put runners on base through the middle innings, but neither side could come up with the clutch hit. Cox left the game after five innings having stranded eight runners. John Hurley (River Grove, IL/Fenwick) and Pat Conlin (Arlington Heights, IL/Rolling Meadows) pitched the sixth and seventh innings respectively, and both worked out of two-out jams to bring the total of stranded Titan runners to 12.
The Cougars finally broke through in the eighth. Pinch-hitter Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant) led off with a soft single down the leftfield line. Schulz was caught looking at a third strike, but IWU pitcher Ryan Hamm then had trouble locating home plate. Eric Ignatowski (Carol Stream, IL/Glenbard North) and Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) both walked on 3-1 pitches to load the bases. John Frueh came in from the bullpen, but he missed on four straight pitches to Cam Stephens (Rosemont, ,IL/East Leyden), forcing pinch-runner Nick Contorno (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) across the plate to tie the game.
Ryan Pacyga (Forest Park, IL/Nazareth Academy) was next up, and he hit a hard smash back to the mound. Frueh smothered the ball and threw from a sitting position to the plate to force the lead runner. However, the relay throw to first sailed high and got away from the first baseman as Skala came around to score the go-ahead run. Steve Brown (Naperville, IL/Naperville North) then lifted a fly ball to short rightfield, but the outfielder lost the ball in the lights. The ball fell in for a double as Stephens scored the insurance run.
Conlin surrendered a leadoff double in the eighth, but a diving catch in right by Eichholzer saved any trouble. Conlin stranded the runner on second, and Tim Milroy (Batavia, IL/Marmion Academy) came in to close the game. He allowed a two-out single but then caught Grodecki looking at a third strike to end a thrilling comeback win for the Cougars.
Conlin earned the win to go 2-1 on the season. Milroy was credited with his third save.
Concordia finishes the regular season 32-8. They will begin Northern Athletics Conference tournament play on Friday morning at Road Ranger Stadium in Rockford when they take on fourth-seededd Benedictine University.
