March 6, 2012 - The desert sun and wind made things interesting for the Concordia-Chicago baseball team today as they took on St. Mary's University of Minnesota. The Cougars had an apparent victory in hand in the ninth inning before the opponent and the elements conspired to put up a four-spot and tie the game. But Concordia had the final say as a bases-loaded single by Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) gave the Cougars a walk-off 10-9 win over the Cardinals.
Following yesterday's win over 25th-ranked Coe College, Concordia head coach Adam Smith viewed today's matchup as a potential "trap game." That appeared to be the case as the Cougars got into trouble early despite scratching out a run in the first inning on Shawn Miller's (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) triple and Nick Skala's (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) infield chopper.
Jon Schlemmer led off the second with a line shot off the right leg of Cougars' starting pitcher C.J. Selner (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran). Selner remained in the game and got the next two outs but walked the eighth and ninth-place batters to load the bases. Mike Feriancek then caught the Cougars by surprise as he laid down a bunt. Selner was unable to make a play anywhere as the tying run crossed the plate. Vince Lulic then grounded into the hole between third and short. Weis made the stop, but again everyone was safe as the Cardinals took a 2-1 lead on their third infield hit of the inning. Kevin Gannon then looped Selner's first offering into short rightfield. Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) dove but was unable to come up with the ball, and all three runners scored as the Cardinals grabbed a 5-1 lead.
The Cougars manufactured a run in the bottom of the inning. Rob Fioravanti (Evergreen Park, IL/H.S.) led off with a smash down the third-base line for a double. Fioravanti advanced to third on Weis' fly to center and scored on a sacrifice fly by Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic).
SMU starter Sean Minder kept the Cougars off the board in the third and fourth innings, but Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) matched zeroes through the middle innings. Pawell came into the game to get the last out of the second and proceeded to retire the first five batters he faced. The Cardinals threatened in the fifth with a pair of one-out singles, but Pawell escaped by slipping called third strikes past Daniel Geraghty and Pat Krieger.
Concordia tied the game in the fifth with the big bats in the middle of the order. Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) reached base on a fielder's choice and stole second. With two outs, the Cardinals elected to walk Skala and face cleanup hitter Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden). The strategy backfired as Stephens drove a 1-1 pitch to the wall in rightfield for a two-run double. Moments later, Anthony Even (Franklin Park, IL/West Leyden) drilled a shot to center that carried away from the fielder. Even dashed all the way to third base as Stephens scored on the triple to tie the game at 5-5.
Pawell shut down SMU in the sixth with the help of the Cougars' first double play of the day. Concordia then went back to work in the bottom of the inning. Fioravanti and Weis singled to put runners on the corners. One out later, Schulz went opposite field as his line drive fell in front of the leftfielder to score Fioravanti with the go-ahead run. Weis made third on the play and scored when Miller grounded out to second base.
The Cardinals threatened in the seventh as Schlemmer reached Pawell for a two-out triple. However, Armando Salgado swung at the first pitch and flew to Eichholzer in right to end the threat. That would end Pawell's day at 4 1/3 scoreless innings with three hits. Pawell's control was immaculate as 35 of his 45 pitches were in the strike zone.
J.P. Kulick (Buffalo Grove, IL/H.S.) made his first mound appearance since 2010, pitching a scoreless eighth. He allowed a one-out double but caught the runner off of second base moments later to keep SMU's momentum in check.
A pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth appeared to put the Cougars in cruise control. Weis reached second on a throwing error by the third baseman and scored on a one-out single by Schulz. With two out, Skala hit the gap in rightcenter for a run-scoring triple and a 9-5 lead.
Tim Milroy (Batavia, IL/Marmion Academy) came on to pitch the ninth, but his outing began shakily as he walked the first batter on four pitches. The next batter reached on an infield single, and Curt Swanson followed with a hit between third and short for a run.
Milroy retired the next two hitters on a fly to left and a grounder to first to put the Cougars one out from victory. But Geraghty singled to right to score Gannon and make it a 9-7 game. Milroy then got pinch-hitter Andy Edholm on an apparent game-ending fly ball down the rightfield line, but the sun and wind combined to keep Eichholzer from getting a good read. The ball fell for a double as pinch-runner Matt Biagini and Geraghty came around to make it a new game at 9-9. Milroy came back to fan Paul LaNasa and strand the lead run at second.
As shocked as the Cougars were by the sudden turn of events, they put it aside quickly. Even picked on the first pitch from Tyler Krysiak and smashed it past the third baseman to the leftfield corner for a leadoff double. Krysiak then issued intentional passes to Eichholzer and Fioravanti to load the bases and set up a force at home plate. But Weis took ball one and then rapped a single past Krysiak into centerfield as Even came across with the decisive tally.
"I love our fight, the way we keep coming back," said Smith. "Kevin Pawell did a great job for us when we put the ball in his hands, and he gave us a chance to get back in the game. Then, even after things got a little crazy in the top of the ninth, we did a great job of executing at the plate with Anthony Even and Robert Weis doing what they had to do. It wasn't our best game but we'll take the win, and it's great to be 3-0."
The Cougars will go for their fourth straight win on Wednesday morning when they take on Simpson College fom Iowa. Freshman southpaw Bobby Beelen (Wheeling, IL/H.S.) draws the starting mound assignment.
