May 8, 2014 - Strong defense, a six-run fifth inning and a gutsy effort by pitcher Dan Kluss (Niles, IL/Niles West) all came together this morning for Concordia University Chicago. The Cougars defeated the Rockford University Regents 9-3 in the opening game of the 2014 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference tournament at Kapco Park in Mequon, Wisconsin. The victory improved the Cougars' overall record to 34-5 and sent the Cougars into a second-round game this evening at 7:00 against either Concordia University Wisconsin or Edgewood College.
The Cougars' opening statement came on the defensive side. Cole Logemann hit the first pitch of the game for a double and was sacrificed to third. Chris Senn then hit a liner to rightfield which was gloved by Colin Bethran (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.). Bethran threw a strike to home plate where Will Randerson (Combined Locks, IL/Kimberly) applied the tag to end the inning. Concordia capitalized on the momentum boost and put a quick run on the board. Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) was hit by a pitch for the 21st time this season. Randerson advanced Zubrzycki to second base with a grounder to first. Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) then hit a ground ball in the hole at shortstop. Zubrzycki broke for third base, but the shortstop's throw sailed past the third baseman and into no man's land between home plate and the dugout. Zubrzycki scored as Olavarria went to second, but the Cougars would leave him there as they settled for just the one run. Defense came through again in the second for the Cougars. With runners on third and second and two out, Kluss' pitch to Jake McKnight squirted by Randerson. Chris Holke broke for the plate, but Randerson quickly tracked down the ball and delivered a backhand flip to Kluss covering the plate. Kluss put the tag on Holke, and the Regents were turned away at the plate again.
The game remained 1-0 until the fifth when the Regents finally broke through. With one out, Logemann knocked out his third double of the game, setting a new NACC tournament record. Kluss got the second out on a grounder to short, but Senn plated Logemann with a line single to left-center. Senn would steal second base moments later, but Kluss fanned Terry Wiltshire to prevent any further damage.
Following a common theme this season, the Cougars answered an opponent's score with some offense of their own. Dan Eichholzer (Elwood, IL/Joliet Township) drew a leadoff walk. Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community), playing only his second game since coming back from a March 22 injury, smacked a single up the middle. Bethran then laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line. The throw went to first base anyway despite no chance to get Bethran, and it got away as Eichholzer scored and the others moved up an extra base. Santarelli walked on four pitches, loading the bases for Zubrzycki. The Cougars' shortstop then delivered the key hit of the game as his high chopper bounced over the third baseman and hugged the line on its way to the leftfield corner. The double scored Gier and Bethran for a 4-1 lead. One out later, Olavarria was issued an intentional pass to load the bases for Will Polley (River Forest, IL/Oak Park-River Forest). The Cougars' designated hitter foiled the strategy with a single to right, scoring Santarelli and Zubrzycki. Polley's hit drove Rockford starter Kyle Pisano from the game, and the Cougars added one final run in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Huber (Chicago, IL/Lane Tech). Buoyed by his teammates' big outburst at the plate, Kluss made quick work of the Regents in the sixth. Rockford pushed across a run in the seventh on Logemann's RBI single and had runners on second and third later in the inning. But Olavarria threw out Logemann at the plate on a grounder for the second out, and Kluss ended his seven-inning stint by whiffing Wiltshire for his sixth strikeout of the game.
Concordia scored its final two runs in the seventh. Randerson walked and scored on a two-out double by Huber. Eichholzer then singled through the left side to tally Huber.
Kevin Pawell (Kenosha, WI/Bradford) pitched a scoreless eighth and was aided by a great play by Zubrzycki who foelded a ball deep in the hole and threw a strike to first base for the out. Rockford added a harmless run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly to account for the final score.
