March 17, 2012 - Through the first 10 games of the 2012 season, the Concordia Cougars continue to steamroll opposing pitchers. With a 10-6 win over Alma College and an 18-5 win over host Rose-Hulman Institute Saturday at the Rose-Hulman Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, the Cougars have now scored in double figures in six games. The victories lifted Concordia's season record to 9-1.
Concordia jumped out to a 3-0 lead against Alma with the help of RBI singles by
Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) and
Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper). However, the Scots answered back with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the second against Cougar starter
Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook). Ryan Henris' two-run single gave Alma the lead, but
Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) caught Henris going for second to slow the Scots' momentum before Cox retired the final two batters of the inning.
The Cougars got one run back in the third on a base hit by
Rob Fioravanti (Evergreen Park, IL/H.S.). The Scots threatened to answer in their half of the inning by putting two on with one out. Sophomore
Dan Kluss (Niles, IL/Niles West) relieved Cox on the mound and coaxed ground balls from the next two hitters to keep it a one-run game at 5-4.
Concordia took control of the game with a three-run fourth. Skala's double scored
B.J. Weisflog (Grafton, WI/H.S.) and
Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township), and Stephens followed with a hit to score Skala and make the score Cougars 7, Scots 5.
A single by
Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) and double by Weisflog started the Cougars rolling again in the fifth. Weis scored on a wild pitch before Eichholzer tripled to score Weisflog.
Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) then singled to cap CUC's third three-run inning of the game and stretch the advantage to 10-5.
The lead held up as Kluss mowed down Alma's hitters until the bottom of the ninth. Three hits plated a run for Alma, and a walk loaded the bases for the Scots to bring the tying run to the plate. Senior
Tim Milroy (Batavia, IL/Marmion Academy) was summoned from the bullpen and retired Bryn Ludlow on a ground ball to second to end the first of Saturday's two games.
Kluss improved to 2-0 on the season with his 6 1/3 innings of work. He allowed one run on six hits while striking out three.
The Cougars moved on to tangle with Rose-Hulman who had improved to 8-3 with an early-morning win over Illinois Wesleyan University. Once again, Concordia wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard. With one out and Weis aboard, Skala cranked out the Cougars' first homer of the season for a quick two-run lead. One out later,
Anthony Even (Franklin Park, IL/West Leyden) doubled and scored on Fioravanti's single for a 3-0 edge.
The Engineers came back with two runs off of Cougar starter
Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford), but Concordia answered with four in the third. Fioravanti's single scored two runners with a third crossing the plate on an error by the outfielder. Weisflog's single then scored Fioravanti for a 7-2 Concordia lead.
A six-run fourth broke the game wide open. Fioravanti delivered again with a two-run single, and Weisflog added a run-scoring single to make the score 13-2 Cougars.
The final three innings saw head coach Adam Smith give some of the younger players some varsity game action. They accounted for the Cougars' final four runs, highlighted by catcher Will Randerson's (Combined Locks, WI/Kimberly) leadoff homer in the ninth inning.
Schulz improved to 2-0 with seven innings of work, allowing two runs (one earned) on seven hits. The southpaw struck out seven while not walking a batter.
Paul Kukulka (Lake Villa, IL/Lakes Community) and
Jake Mijares (Cicero, IL/Nazareth Academy) wrapped up the game with an inning each.
Concordia will play Illinois Wesleyan on Sunday afternoon at Indiana State's Sycamore Field. It will be the first of four straight games against the Titans as the two teams will play three next weekend in Bloomington.
