March 17, 2016 - The first of a four-game weekend in Austin, Texas was not for the faint of heart. The Concordias of Chicago and Texas hooked up this evening in a tense battle that saw the CUC Cougars build a five-run lead and then hang on for dear life before finally prevailing by a 9-6 score.
After a quiet first inning, the Cougars put up five runs in the second.
Grant Davis (Morris, IL/Morris Community) started the scoring with a single to score
Brady Roberts (Aurora, IL/Marmion Academy) who had led off with a single and advanced on an error. A double by
Andrew Kroncke (St. Charles, IL/St. Charles North) moved Davis to third, and both of them scored as
Keegan Tyrell (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) doubled to the left field corner. With two out,
Joe Silva's (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey) infield single scored Tyrell, and
Mitch Wilson's (Oswego, IL/H.S.) triple to right-centerfield made it a 5-0 game.
The Tornados got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a two-run homer by Gareth Hutton, bur CUC answered those runs in the third. Once again, the lower part of the order did a large part of the damage as singles by Roberts, Davis and Kroncke loaded the bases. The runs scored on a single by Tyrell and a double by Silva, although a baserunning gaffe went for the third out and prevented further scoring in the inning.
The hosts took one run back on a two-out single by Colton Poindexter, but that ended the Tornados' output against CUC starter
ERic Palmer (Melrose Park, IL/West Leyden). Palmer shut down the TornadosTornadoes through the fourth and fifth innings before departing the game. The senior's pitching line read three runs allowed on four hits through five innings as he eventually picked up his second straight win.
Matt McTague (Skokie, IL/Niles North) pitched a scoreless sixth as the CUC lead remained 7-3. However, the home team resumed the scoring with two in the seventh. The Tornados had the bases loaded, but McTague got a ground ball to third for the third out and the Cougars still leading by 7-5.
A one-out walk in the eighth opened the door for the home team in the eighth. A balk would score the run, and the Tornados loaded the bases again before
Matt Swanson (DesPlaines, IL/Maine West) worked out of the jam by getting a fly to right and keeping the Cougars in the lead by a slim 7-6 margin.
Concordia-Chicago came back in the ninth to post their first runs since the third inning.
Bryan VanDuser (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) was hit by a pitch leading off, and a pair of errors loaded the bases for the visitors. Following a ground ball for a force at the plate, Roberts went the opposite way with a single to score Silva and Wilson for two huge insurance runs.
The home team looked to rally one last time as the leadoff man reached on a walk. The call to the bullpen went to
Brian Musielak (Chicago, IL/Brother Rice). The sophomore struck out the next two batters, and Roberts fired to first base following the second strikeout to catch the runner off base to end the game.
The Cougars (9-3) will return to Tornado Field on Friday night to play Howard Payne University at 7 p.m.
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