March 10, 2016 – Today's victory for the Concordia-Chicago Cougars baseball team was reduced to its most basic element – the relationship between the pitcher and catcher. The formula worked well as Mike Formella (Homer Glen, IL/Lockport Township) tossed a three-hit shutout, and catcher Brady Roberts (Aurora, IL/Marmion Academy) supported him with not only a well-called game but four RBIs as the Cougars prevailed 5-0 in Winter Haven, FL.  

Formella needed just 11 pitches to get through a 1-2-3 first inning before the Cougars went to work. With one out, Andrew Massey (Chicago, IL/St. Rita) walked and Mitch Wilson (Oswego, IL/H.S.) was hit by a pitch. Brent Spohr (Ingleside, IL/Grant Community) then ripped a single to center to put the Cougars on the board.

Two big defensive plays over the next two innings kept CUC in front by the slim margin. St. Joseph's put their first runner on base in the second on a CUC error, but a crisply turned 6-4-3 double play quickly erased any threat. In the third, the Monks collected two of their three hits for the game following a one-out walk. The second hit appeared as if might tie the score, but a strong throw by centerfielder
Keegan Tyrell (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic) was right on target to Roberts, and the runner was tagged out by a fair distance.

The Cougars promptly rode that momentum to a three-run outburst in the bottom of the third. Massey and Wilson began the rally with one-out singles. Following a fly to center, Joe Silva (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey) worked a walk on a full count to load the bases. Roberts was next, and he took full advantage of a 2-0 count by ripping the pitcher's offering deep to left. The ball short-hopped the wall as all three runners sped around the bases to score and give CUC a 4-0 lead.

The Cougars had more than enough runs for Formella, although CUC did add a fifth run in the seventh on Roberts' single for his fourth RBI. Formella allowed just one hit and one walk over the final six innings and retired the last nine batters to put a stamp on the Cougars' sixth win of the season.

Concordia-Chicago (6-2) will return to action on Friday morning with a game against Central College of Iowa.