March 4, 2013 - Solid pitching and defense were the keys again this afternoon as the Concordia-Chicago baseball team improved to 2-0. Ryan Thorsen (Lake Villa, IL/Grant Community) hurled six innings of shutout ball in the Cougars' 6-1 win over St. Mary's University of Minnesota on a warm but windy day in Tucson, Arizona.

For the second straight day, the Cougars got on the board in the first inning. After the first two batters grounded out, Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) slapped a single between third and short. Cleanup hitter Kyle Huber (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) then picked on the first pitch from Cardinals' starter Steph Scatassa, going the opposite way on a line drive that sliced away from the leftfielder and rolled to the wall. Miller came all the way around to give Concordia the early lead.

The score remained 1-0 until the top of the fifth. Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet West) led off with a triple to the rightfield corner and scored moments later on a sacrifice fly by Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.). Miller and Huber followed with singles, chasing Scatassa from the game in favor of right-handed sidearmer A.J. Redders. Following a double steal, Derek Binninger (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) hit a rocket to left-center that split the outfielders as the two runners scored for a 4-0 lead.

Thorsen exited the game after six innings, allowing just six hits and one walk while striking out seven. St. Mary's finally broke through with one out in the seventh when Zach Wolfe hit one over the fence in leftfield, ending the Cougar pitchers' scoreless streak at 15 1/3 innings.

Concordia promptly answered St. Mary's run with two of their own in the eighth. Dan Lo Dolce (Northlake, IL/Walther Lutheran) led off with a four-pitch walk. Tony Barreto (Cicero, IL/Nazareth Academy) singled to the hole at shortstop. Rich Santarelli (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Christian) fought off an 0-2 pitch and looped a single to right-center to score Lo Dolce, and Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) singled to left to plate the Cougars' final run.

The Cougar bullpen closed out the game with two scoreless innings. Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) hurled the eighth, striking out one batter, and Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) struck out two batters in the ninth.

Concordia will look for their third straight win on Tuesday morning when they square off against Northland College from Wisconsin. Southpaw C.J. Selner (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran) is Concordia's scheduled starter on the mound.