March 4, 2012 - The Concordia Cougars opened the new season this afternoon with a 15-3 rout of Benedictine University Springfield. A 17-hit attack and a pair of seven-run innings keyed the win before a sun-splashed crowd at Gene Autry Park in Mesa, Arizona.
The Cougars went out in order in the first, and their NAIA opponents threatened in their initial at-bat. The Bulldogs' first two men reached on a single and a walk, and a throwing error moved the runners into scoring position with one out. However, Ryan Thorsen (Lake Villa, IL/Grant) got the cleanup hitter to pop to second base and the number five batter to ground the short to elude the threat.
Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) led off the second with a wind-aided pop that fell in short rightfield for a double. Newcomer Anthony Even (Franklin Park, IL/West Leyden) was next, and he laced the first pitch over the centerfielder's head for a double. Even was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a triple, but Stephens crossed the plate for the Cougars' first run of the season.
Thorsen worked around a two-out double in the bottom of the inning before Concordia came up for their third at-bat. With one out, Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) drew a walk. Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) singled up the middle to put runners on the corners. Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) then ripped a double down the rightfield line to plate Weis and move Schulz to third.
Benedictine starter J.D. Dozier fell behind Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) 2-0 and elected to walk him intentionally. Stephens then ripped the first pitch to left. On another day, the ball might have carried for a grand slam, but the wind kept it in the park for a run-scoring sacrifice fly while the other runners moved up a base. Even followed with another first-pitch hit, a single to center that scored Miller and Skala for a 5-0 lead.
Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant) kept the inning going with a single, and Rob Fioravanti (Evergreen Park, IL/H.S.) reached base when Dozier threw away his infield chopper. Even scored, and Gier followed moments later when Dozier uncorked a wild pitch. Eichholzer's single to right scored Fioravanti to cap the outburst and give Thorsen an eight-run cushion.
The Bulldogs' bullpen silenced the Cougar bats over the middle innings, and their hitters finally reached Thorsen in the bottom of the sixth. Two walks put runners on base with one out, and David Maziarz hit a grounder up the middle that Even could only knock down for an infield single. Brandon Koishor drew a five-pitch walk to force in Benedictine's first run, and Blake Siebert singled to left to score the second run. However, Thorsen regrouped after a mound visit to strike out Jordan Day and induce Trevor McGrath to fly to right. McGrath's fly came on Thorsen's 102nd pitch of the game and ended the lefthander's outing. Thorsen's line read six hits and two earned runs with three strikeouts and four walks.
Sophomore Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) came on to start the seventh and retired the first six batters he faced to take the game into the ninth. Concordia then blew the game wide open with some help from Benedictine. Stephens ripped a pitch between the left and centerfielders and legged it out for a triple. B.J. Weisflog (Grafton, WI/H.S.) ran for Stephens and scored one out later when late-inning defensive replacement Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) executed a perfect suicide squeeze. Fioravanti singled, and Eichholzer doubled to left for a second run. Weis singled Eichholzer to third, and the run came across seconds later on a wild pitch.
Schulz singled in the infield, and Miller was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Skala followed with a shot directly at the third baseman, but he could not knock the ball down. The ball rolled to the leftfield corner as all three runners scored. Weisflog followed with a perfectly-placed chopper between the third baseman and shortstop to score Skala with the final run of the frame.
The Bulldogs put together three singles off Pawell for a run in the bottom of the ninth, but Pawell got Tommy Jennings to ground to second to close the book on the Cougars' initial victory of 2012.
Concordia rapped out 17 hits for the game, led by Even and Eichholzer with three each. All of the Cougars' starters had at least one hit while Miller, Skala and Fioravanti each scored two runs.
The Cougars will play Coe College Monday at 1:00 (Arizona time). The Kohawks went 32-12 last year, winning the Iowa Conference and advanceing to the NCAA III Regionals. Righthander Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) will be on the mound for Concordia.
