May 8, 2014 - There were no smoke and mirrors involved, but it may still be a mystery to some how the Concordia Cougars escaped Kapco Park with a 2-1, 10-inning victory over Edgewood College in tonight's second-round Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference game. Regardless of how it was accomplished, the Cougars' victory gives them the upper hand as they advance to tomorrow night's winner's round game.

Certainly, CUC's pitching played a huge role in the team's 35th victory in 40 games. Kurt Kempema (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.), newly named as one of four first-team All-NACC pitchers, struck out a career-high 11 batters and battled through 8 1/3 innings while limiting Edgewood to a single unearned run. Steve Cox (Villa Park, IL/Willowbrook) came into the game in the ninth in a different type of closer's role as he stranded two Eagles on base to send the game into extra innings. Then, after the Cougars pushed across a run in the top of the tenth, Cox worked around an error to retire the side and nail down a hard-fought victory.

"Kurt showed us why he was a first-team all-conference player tonight," said CUC head coach Adam Smith. "Steve was great coming into the situation he did. As usual, he had ice water in his veins and did a great job in getting the outs he had to get."

From the beginning, it was clear that both Kempema and Edgewood starter Trevor Koehn were on their games, and not even a 35-minute delay for lightning in the bottom of the first inning could throw them off-track. Kempema had the Eagles beating the ball into the ground early on, getting nine of the first 12 outs on grounders. Meanwhile, Koehn escaped a mini-jam in the top of the first and did well after that in keeping the Cougars' hitters off-balance.

The Eagles broke the scoreless deadlock in the fourth. Brad Clark led off with a single and was at second base with two out when Ryan O'Dell singled sharply to left. It appeared as if Clark was about to get the stop sign at third, but the ball got away in leftfield momentarily, allowing Clark to come around and score.

Concordia looked ready to retaliate in the fifth as Colin Bethran (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.) was hit by a pitch. Rich Santarelli's (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Christian) put down a sacrifice bunt, and both runners were safe when the throw went to second, too late to nab Bethran. But Koehn struck out the next three batters swinging as part of his 10-strikeout performance, and a frustrated CUC team still trailed 1-0.

Koehn went on to retire the side in the sixth and seventh, chalking up nine consecutive outs. But the Cougars needed just a brief moment in the eighth to produce a tying run. Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) hit a chopper down the first base line and was safe when Koehn overran the ball. Then, on the first pitch to Will Randerson (Combined Locks, WI/Kimberly), Zubrzycki took off for second. The catcher's throw sailed high into centerfield as Zubrzycki quickly got up and raced to third base. Randerson then hit a fly ball deep to the leftfield corner that easily scored Zubrzycki for the tying run.

Kempema set down the Eagles in the eighth but issued a one-out walk to Zack Creekmore in the ninth. Max Jaskulski then reached base on a fielder's choice that saw Creekmore move into second. Coach Smith wasted no time in summoning Cox as Kempema walked off to an ovation from the Cougar faithful for his 121-pitch effort.

Cox needed little time in getting the Cougars out of the ninth. The senior struck out O'Dell on three pitches and then got Sean Thompson to pop up to Randerson in foul territory, sending the game into extra innings.

Koehn took the mound for the Eagles in the tenth and recorded the first out. Randerson was next up, and he drilled a 1-0 pitch on a line to centerfield. The ball carried over the outfielder's head and rolled all the way to the wall. By the time the ball was thrown back in, Randerson was at third base with a triple. Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) fell behind 1-2 before hitting a fly ball that forced the rightfielder to backtrack in order to catch it. Randerson scored with no trouble, and the Cougars went to the bottom of the tenth with a 2-1 lead.

The drama was not over just yet. Cox caught pinch-hitter Kody Parman looking at a third strike for out number one. Marc Ostrowski reached base when his ground ball was misplayed for an error. Pinch-hitter Will Schlosser then walked on five pitches, putting the tying and winning runs on base. Edgewood's top hitter, shortstop Andrew Lauritzen then battled Cox to a full count before Cox won the battle, getting a ground ball that went for a force at second. Clark then hit Cox's first pitch for a lazy fly to center that allowed all Cougar fans in attendance to exhale and celebrate the advancement to tomorrow night's contest.

Three games will play out tomorrow before the Cougars see who their opponent will be for the 7:00 game. Concordia University Wisconsin and Dominican University were today's other first-round winners, but Benedictine University and Rockford University remain alive in the tournament. Whoever the Cougars play, a victory would advance them to the championship round of the tournament on Saturday afternoon.