.March 15, 2015 - Following a 5-3 weeklong trip to Florida during Spring Break, the Concordia-Chicago Cougars had high hopes for a four-game weekend in Tucson as they continued to challenge themselves against some of the top baseball programs in NCAA Division III. In hindsight, the weekend was one that the Cougars would like t put behind them. The team finished just 1-3 on the weekend after Macalester College defeated CUC 9-3 on Sunday morning  

C.J. Selner (Milwaukee, WI/Milwaukee Lutheran) made his third start of the season and made quick work of the Scots on three infield outs in the top of the first. Howevwe, Macalester rapped out five hits in the second and scored four times before leftfielder Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) threw out a runner at third to end the inning.

The Cougars' defense continued its rough stretch in the fourth as two errors led to a pair of runs. The Scots added single runs in the fifth and sixth, and an unearned tally in the seventh gave Macalester a 9-0 lead. Ryan Hayes (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.) pitched well over the final three innings, allowing no hitsd and just the one unearned marker.

Concordia-Chicago finally solved Macalester southpaw Lucas Babinec in the eighth, plating all three of their runs. Brady Roberts (Aurora, IL/Marmion Academy), Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) and Doug Matthews (Lockport, IL/Lockport Township) all reached on infield singles to load the bases. Olavarria was hit by a full-count pitch to force in CUC's first run. Joe Silva (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey) walked on a 3-1 pitch to force in the second run and bring an end to Babinec's day. Forest Redlin came in to pitch, and Brent Spohr (Ingleside, IL/Grant Community) hit his first pitch to rightfield for a sacrifice fly. Redlin then hit Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) to reload the bases, but the inning ended on a soft liner to rightfield. The Cougars put the leadoff man aboard on a walk in the ninth, but the next three batters were retired to bring an end to the weekend in the desert.

The Cougars will resume action next Saturday and Sunday with four games in St. Louis/. They will play two games against host Washington University and two against Illinois Wesleyan University.