March 31, 2010 - On a chilly afternoon where the pitchers dominated both ends of today's Northern Athletics Conference doubleheader, Concordia's Dan Kluss (Niles, IL/Niles West) stood tallest in the crowd. Kluss threw a complete-game one-hitter in helping the Cougars defeat Benedictine University 2-1 after the Eagles had taken the first game by a 6-2 score.
Kluss threw 113 pitches in winning his fourth straight outing to start the season. He was staked to a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Brenden Schulz (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) singled with two out. Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) followed with a double that rolled to the fence in right-center. Schulz motored all the way around to score the game's opening run.
The Cougars added on in the sixth. Anthony Even (Franklin Park, IL/West Leyden) bounced a one-out single in the hole between third and short. Nick Schroder relieved Eagles' starter Mike Irgang on the mound, and Even took advantage of the pitcher's dedliberate delivery by stealing second and third bases. One batter later, Rob Fioravanti (Evergreen Park, IL/H.S.) lined a shot directly at the rightfielder. Even scored as the throw came in too far up the third-base line as Concordia took a 2-0 lead.
Kluss retired the first 17 batters before Chris Wanderling walked on a 3-2 pitch to become the Eagles' first runner. Dan Zust then walked on four pitches but, after a mound visit, Kluss came back to strike out Nick Karakosta and end the threat.
The sophomore righthander sailed through the seventh as the excitement in the crowd began to build, but Kluss' no-hitter went by the boards on the first pitch of the eighth inning. John Cervantes line shot to right-center tailed away from Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) and landed between him and Eichholzer for a double. Uli Ortiz then reached base on an error, Cervantes moving to third. A force out at second brought the first out with Cervantes scoring on the play. Kluss regrouped, getting Wanderling on a called third strike and Zust on a fly to right.
A one-out walk in the ninth gave Benedictine its final chance, but Kluss retired Tom Higgins on a fly to left and Steve Cocat on a grounder to second to close out Concordia's 13th win of the season. Kluss finished with a career-high nine strikeouts against three walks in earning the win.
In game one, Benedictine's Mark Belcastro was the story as he hurled a complete-game five-hitter. Ryan Mullin's RBI double gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead, but it was the top of the third that put Concordia at a huge disadvantage. With two on and two out, Cocat's infield chopper rolled under the shortstop's glove for an error as a run scored. Cervantes and Ortiz followed with doubles as the Eagles turned the error into four unearned runs and a 5-0 lead for Belcastro.
The Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the third on a walk to Schulz and singles by Nick Skala (Long Grove, IL/St. Viator) and Cam Stephens (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden). They added a run in the fourth on one of the more unusual plays of the year. Concordia loaded the bases with one out when Schulz lofted a pop fly just behind third base. The ball fell between the third baseman and shortstop, but the throw home beat Fioravanti for an apparent force play. However, an infield fly had been called, meaning that runners advanced at their risk. Since the force was not in play and a tag was never made at home, the run counted and Schulz was credited with a sacrifice fly that traveled about 110 feet.
Belcastro went on to retire the next 10 batters before Skala walked to start the eighth. The Cougars managed just one more runner and finished hitless over the final 5 2/3 innings. Belcastro fanned seven while walking four in cliaming the victory.
Concordia (13-4, 1-1 NAC) returns to action on Sunday afternoon when they play two against Rockford College at Road Ranger Stadium.
