April 24, 2014 - A busy stretch of six games in five days concluded for the Concordia Cougars today as they hosted Wheaton College in a single non-conference game. The Cougars followed up on last week's 9-1 win over the Thunder with an even more decisive 14-3 win in a contest shortened to seven innings.

Concordia's win was ensured with a nine-run sixth, the team's biggest inning of the year. The Cougars had just taken the lead an inning earlier when a three spot snapped a 2-2 tie.

Wheaton put a run on the board in the first inning on consecutive one-out doubles. But CUC sophomore Nick Barnhill (Normal, IL/Normal West) was nearly untouchable after that. The righthander pitched six innings allowing just two runs (one earned) on four hits with eight strikeouts and three walks while picking up his first decision of the season.

The Cougars evened the score in the second on a two-out walk to Grant Davis (Morris, IL/Morris Community H.S.), a stolen base and a single by Colin Bethran (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.). The home team then took the lead in the third as Kyle Huber (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech) doubled with two out and scored on a sharp single to left-center by Will Randerson (Combined Locks, WI/Kimberly).

A leadoff walk and a passed ball let the Thunder tie the game in the fourth. John Jensen-Johnson's single drove in the unearned tally, and the two teams were on even terms again at 2-2.

Concordia began to take control of the game in the fifth. Singles by Will Polley (River Forest, IL/Oak Park-River Forest) and Huber started the line moving. Randerson then attempted to sacrifice, and all runners were safe when the third baseman booted the ball. Rich Santarelli (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Christian) then worked a full count and fouled off a pitch before lining a single into leftfield to drive in the go-ahead run. The Wheaton pitcher dug in to get the next two batters to bounce into force outs at the plate. But Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) hit a sharp grounder past the third baseman and down the line for a two-run double, giving the Cougars a 5-2 lead.

The Cougars' nine-run sixth followed as Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) was hit by a pitch. Polley walked, and the runners then teamed up for a double steal. Huber was next, and his ground ball to second was thrown away with both runners scoring. A couple of batters later, Davis' single scored Huber. Bethran reached on an infield hit, and the ball was thrown down the first-base line for the second error of the inning as another run scored. Before the inning was over, Olavarria would drive home a pair of runs with a double. Brent Spohr (Ingleside, IL/Grant Community) capped the offensive assault with an RBI single to center, Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet West) crossing the plate with CUC's 14th run.

Mike Sweeney (Chicago, IL/Notre Dame) pitched the seventh inning after Barnhill retired to the bench with his fine 100-pitch outing. An error allowed the Thunder to score an unearned run, but Sweeney got the final out of the game on a grounder to second base.

The Cougars (27-3) return to conference play on Saturday when they play two games at Lakeland College in Sheboygan.