April 21, 2013 - Despite a week-long layoff, the Concordia Cougar baseball team returned to business as usual this afternoon. A 7-3, 6-3 sweep of the visiting Marian University Sabres lifted the team's overall record to 22-3 and extended their current winning streak to 12 games, all in Northern Athletics Conference play.

The Cougars overcame an early deficit and rode the strong pitching of left-hander Bobby Beelen (Wheeling, IL/H.S.) in earning the game one victory. Casey Schreiner's three-run homer over the leftfield fence staked the Sabres to a 3-0 second inning lead. But the Cougars got on the comeback trail immediately. Back-to-back doubles by Kyle Huber (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) and Robert Weis (Oak Creek, WI/H.S.) put the Cougars on the board, Later in the inning, Joe Moran's (Chicago, IL/Notre Dame) sacrifice fly scored Weis to make it a one-run game.

In the third, Will Randerson (Combined Locks, WI/Kimberly) one-out single and a walk to Huber set up a scoring opportunity. One out later, Derek Binninger (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) bounced a single past the pitcher and into centerfield as Randerson came around third to score the tying run.

Concordia took the lead in the fifth as Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Comunity) went to the opposite field for a leadoff double. Gier moved to third on Randerson's fly to center. Huber then fouled off a couple of two-strike pitches before hitting a slow ground ball to second base and driving home Gier for a 4-3 lead.

Moran's fielder's choice scored Binninger in the sixth for a two-run lead. Concordia added single runs over the next two innings utilizing their speed. In the seventh, Nick Contorno (Park Ridge, IL/Maine South) came on to run for Gier who had reached on a single. After moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, Contorno stole third base and came home when the catcher's throw got by the third baseman and rolled down the line. In the eighth, Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) caught the Sabres by surprise with a bunt single down the third base line. One out later with Shawn Miller (Pleasant Prairie, WI/Tremper) at bat, the Cougars executed a perfect hit-and-run play. Miller laced a 3-2 pitch into right-center. Zubrzycki never slowed down, and he scored all the way from first base on the single.

Beelen was in fine form after allowing the early homer. He was in trouble only once more, that coming in the fifth ining when the Sabres loaded the bases with one out. But Beelen escaped by making number three batter Garrett Dorn hit into a 6-4-3 double play. The southpaw struck out a career-high nine batters and allowed just five hits in improving his record to 4-1 on the season.

In game two, Concordia grabbed the early lead as Tony Barreto (Cicero, IL/Nazareth Academy) led off the second with a single and moved up on a Weis sacrifice. Binninger then rocketed a 3-1 pitch to the gap in right-center and legged out a triple as Barreto scored the first run of the game.

The lead grew to three the following inning. A leadoff walk to Zubrzycki and single by Moran got things started, and a sacrifie by Miller moved both runners up 90 feet. Gier then hit a 1-0 pitch down the first base line and past the diving reach of the first baseman. The umpire signaled fair ball, and both runners scored on the double for a 3-0 lead.

Marian rallied with two runs in the top of the fourth inning, but Barreto picked off a runner on first base to end the inning. Barreto and starting pitcher Dan Kluss (Niles, IL/Niles West) combined to catch four runners off base for the game. Concordia then got back one of the runs in their half of the inning on Zubrzycki's sacrifice fly.

The score remained 4-2 until the eighth when the Sabres mounted their final push. Cole Miklavcic reached base on an error and scored on a one-out double by Chad Langley. Kluss gave way to Paul Kukulka (Lake Villa, IL/Lakes Community) who made his second appearance of the day after a ninth inning stint in game one. Kukulka retired the next two batters on ground balls to the shortstop.

Concordia pushed across two big insurance tallies in the eighth. Marian's inability to turn a double play opened the door, and Binninger and Dan Lo Dolce (Northlake, IL/Walther Lutheran) singled home runs to push the lead back to three runs. Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) pitched the ninth inning, putting down the Sabres in order to notch his seventh save of the year.

Kluss earned his team-leading fifth win of the year with his solid 7 1/3 innings of work. He allowed three runs (two earned) on nine hits, striking out five and walking one.