March 3, 2015 - As the Concordia-Chicago baseball team adjusts to playing outside after a complete lack of opportunities back home in River Forest, the Cougars' overall game is indeed warming up. The Cougars enjoyed the best day of their three thus far in the Florida sunshine as they swept away Gwynedd Mercy University of Pennsylvania today by scores of 8-2 and 9-2 at Auburndale's Mickey Etherton Field.
The first inning of the previous two games had been a bit of a sore spot for the Cougars, but they took care of that in game one. After starter Kurt Kempema(Schaumburg, IL/H.S.) wiggled out of a two-out jam, the Cougars batted 11 men in the inning and gave Kempema a comfortable seven-run cushion. Carlos Olavarria (Rosemont, IL/East Leyden) started the scoring with a single to left that scored Steve Zubrzycki (McHenry, IL/Marian Central Catholic) who had reached base on the first of his five hits in the twinbill. One out later, Thomas Gier (Fox Lake, IL/Grant Community) singled up the middle to score Cody Rupp (Bartonville, IL/Limestone) and Olavarria. Before the inning ended, Rich Santarelli (Homer Glen, IL/Chicago Christian) singled home a run, and Zubrzycki cranked out a bases-loaded double to drive home three runs.
Kempema would work out of another minor threat in the second but, beginning in the third, the lefthander began to hit his stride. He kept the ball down, resulting in numerous groundball outs, including a 5-4-3 double play to end the fourth. Kempema also struck out a pair of batters in the fifth, giving him a total of five through five innings.
Gwynedd Mercy broke through in the sixth with a pair of runs on a walk, two singles and a fielder's choice. But CUC got one of the runs back in the bottom of the inning as Zubrzycki led off with a hit that fell between the left and centerfielders. The speedy senior shortstop swiped second base and, moments later, took off for third base. The catcher's throw got past the third baseman and rolled down the line as Zubrzycki picked himself up and trotted home with the run.
Kempema earned his first win of the season, allowing just the two earned runs in six innings on five hits and two walks. Ryan Hayes (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.) wrapped up the victory with a scoreless seventh in which he struck out a batter. Freshman Mike Formella (Homer Glen, IL/Lockport Township) took the ball for game two and also gave the Cougars six solid innings of work in his first collegiate start. He helped his own cause immediately as he picked off the leadoff batter who had reached on a single. Formella was also helped out in the third as Zubrzycki and catcher Will Randerson (Combined Locks, WI/Kimberly) combined to thwart the back end of an attempted double steal.
Griffins' starter Rick Elfreth was up to the challenge as he shut down the Cougars over the first three innings. Gwynedd Mercy then broke through in the fourth on a pair of unearned runs. With a man on second and two out, a swinging strike three appeared to end the inning. However, the ball was in the dirt, and the throw to first sailed above Gier's reach as the first run of the game crossed the plate. Brett Kozlowski then lined a shot to right that got down for a double to score another run, but rightfielder Dan LoDolce (Northlake, IL/Walther Lutheran) and second baseman Santarelli combined to nail Kozlowski trying to stretch the hit into a triple and keep the score at 2-0.
Concordia-Chicago promptly seized the momentum from the big defensive play and went to work with the bats in the top of the fifth. Randerson worked a leadoff walk, and Zubrzycki lined a double to the leftfield corner. Rupp's grounder to shortstop scored Randerson and moved Zubrzycki to third. Olavarria then worked a full count before poking a single between first and second to plate the tying run. Joe Silva (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey), who was inserted into the cleanup spot for both games today, came back from an 0-2 count to go the opposite way and hit a liner to left-center. When the ball was finally retrieved, Olavarria was racing around third base to score the go-ahead run. The Cougars added a run in the sixth as LoDolce singled and eventually scored on a passed ball. A five-run seventh then put the game out of reach. Silva led off with his second double and, following a walk to Gier, scored on a pinch-double by Doug Matthews (Lockport, IL/Lockport Township). A wild pitch and a squeeze bunt by Santarelli scored two more runs before Randerson shot a triple to the rightfield corner to score LoDolce. A second wild pitch allowed Randerson to come home and complete the scoring. Formella allowed just the two unearned runs in his six innings of work, allowing five hits while striking out six. Matt McTague (Skokie, IL/Niles North) pitched the seventh with one strikeout to his credit.
The Cougars completed the first half of the Florida trip with a 3-1 record. The team will now enjoy an off day before resuming action on Thursday when they play the University of Mount Union. The game will be played at the Chain of Lakes Stadium in Winter Haven, former spring training home of the Boston Red Sox.
