April 19, 2014 - After a stretch of just one game in the past seven days, the Concordia Cougars began a busy stretch of six Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference games in four days. Today's opponent was the Cougars' rival from six blocks down Division Street, the Dominican University Stars. The rivalry intensified the competitive fires in both teams, and the Cougars were pushed to the limit in winning game one by a 4-3 score. The Cougars then pulled away late in the nightcap and gained the doubleheader sweep with a 12-2 victory in eight innings.

Dominican started the scoring in their initial at-bat. An error prolonged the inning, and the Stars eventually loaded the bases with two out. Tommy Smith slapped the first pitch he saw up the middle, scoring the runners from third and second for an early 2-0 lead.

As has been their pattern much of the season, the Cougars answered an opponents' score quickly. Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) reached base when he was hit by a pitch. One out later, Carlos Olavarria's (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) hit hugged the third-base line and rolled to the leftfield corner as Zubrzycki motored all the way around from first. Will Polley (River Forest, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) then singled for the first of his four hits in game one, Olavarria advancing to third. Olavarria scored moments later as the Stars were unable to turn a double play, and the first inning ended with the score tied 2-2.

CUC starter Kurt Kempema (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.) found his groove after the two unearned runs in the first, and he set down the visitors quietly until the fifth. A two-out double by Joe Krasny scored Tim Varallo from first, and the Stars regained the lead at 3-2.

The Cougars finally took the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Polley and Kyle Huber (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) started the rally with sharp singles to center. Will Randerson (Combined Locks, WI/Kimberly) then hit a high chopper which bounced over the head of the first baseman into rightfield, and Polley came around to score the tying run. Rich Santarelli (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Christian) was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Dan Lo Dolce's (Northlake, IL/Walther Lutheran) fielder's choice drove in Huber with the go-ahead tally.

Kempema (5-0) shut down Dominican in the seventh before exiting the game. The lefty's final line read three runs (one earned) in seven inning with four hits, five strikeouts and two walks. Robert Lock (Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius) pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before giving way to closer Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) in the ninth. The Stars tried to rally with two outs as a soft single and a walk put the tying and go-ahead runs on base. But Cox got Kevin Schwer to ground out to Zubrzycki for the force at second as the Cougars wrapped up win number 22 on the season. Cox notched save number seven for the season and 20th of his career.

In game two, the Stars threatened in the first, but leftfielder Doug Matthews (Crest Hill, IL/Lockport Township) threw out a runner at the plate to end the inning. Instead, it was CUC that opened the scoring as four straight hits led to two runs. Olavarria's single and Polley's double drove in Zubrzycki and Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet West).

Each team scored a run in the second. Concordia's tally came on Eichholzer's sacrifice fly which scored Eric Jensen(Niles, IL/Niles West) who had led off with a single.

Dominican tightened things up in the fifth as they put a run across and had two runners aboard. But CUC freshman Jordan Tharp (Cullom, IL/Tri-Point) got cleanup hitter Cody Schuster to fly to right and end the threat. Tharp's five innings of work earned him his second victory of the season. Relievers Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) and Nick Barnhill (Normal, IL/Normal West) would combine to keep the Stars scoreless over the next three innings.

Concordia-Chicago began to open up their lead in the sixth. Zubrzycki was hit by a pitch and came around to score when Olavarria's gapper rolled all the way to the wall for a triple. Polley then laced a run-scoring double down the leftfield line for his sixth hit of the twinbill. Later in the inning, a third run scored when a flip to second base on an attempted force got away from the fielder.

The momentum grew in the seventh as the Cougars put five on the board. The inning was highlighted by a Huber triple and an RBI single by freshman Grant Davis (Morris, IL/Morris Community). 

The Cougars ended the game in the eighth on the mercy rule. Eichholzer singled with one out. Pinch-hitter Josh Neely (Woodstock, IL/Woodstock North) drew a walk, and both runners moved up on a balk. Brent Spohr (Ingleside, IL/Grant Community) pinch-hit for Polley, and his line drive to left was deep enough for a sacrifice fly to score Eichholzer.

Concordia's wins extended their streak to 19 consecutive while improving the overall record to 23-2 and NACC record to 10-0. The Cougars will play Aurora University on Monday afternoon at Solfisburg Park in Aurora.