March 20, 2016 - Today's "Getaway Day" game in Austin, Texas saw the Concordias of Chicago and Texas engage in a good old-fashioned pitchers' duel. Unfortunately for the Cougars, it was the host Tornados that pushed across a run in the bottom of the seventh and then denied the Cougars on two plays at the plate in the ninth to take a 2-1 finale.

Adam Schmitt (Peoria, IL/Limestone) took the mound for the Cougars and matched zeroes with the Tornados' Matthew Brown over the first few innings. In the third, however, the home team broke through as Michael Evan led off with a triple. Schmitt struck out the next batter, but the number nine batter made contact and grounded the ball to short. The Cougars got the out at first, but the run scored to make it a 1-0 game.

The Cougars managed just two hits, both by Bryan VanDuser (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North), through the first six innings. With one out in the seventh, however, Connor Brandon (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) singled up the middle. Tornados' reliever Justin Traxler struck out the next man for the second out, but Grant Davis (Morris, IL/Morris Community) kept the inning alive with a single to right. Doug Matthews (Crest Hill, IL/Lockport Township) was next, and he picked on the first pitch from Traxler, shooting it between the third baseman and the shortstop for a game-tying base hit.

The deadlock did not last long, as the Tornados went to work in the bottom of the inning. The leadoff man singled, and his pinch-runner moved up on a wild pitch. The next batter ripped a base hit up the middle, but a great throw by Keegan Tyrell (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) resulted in the runner being tagged out in a rundown. However, the batter took second base on the throw, and he scored moments later on a base hit by Connor Bertsch.

Concordia-Chicago trailed 2-1 as they came to bat in the ninth. Leadoff man Kevin Coppin (Lisle, IL/H.S.) hit a squibber in the infield that was thrown away, puttingCoppin at second. Coppin advanced to third on a wild pitch and remained there as Brandon drew a walk and was replaced by pinch-runner Colin Bethran (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.). The next batter was Andrew Kroncke (St. Charles, IL/St. Charles North) who got a bunt down in front of the pitcher. Traxler made a nice play to shovel the ball to the catcher who tagged out Coppin. Traxler then struck out pinch-hitter Justin Rodriguez (Wood Dale, IL/Fenwick) for the second out. With Matthews at the plate, the Cougars looked to take the run via their speed on the basepaths, but Bethran was gunned down at the plate on a strong return throw by the shortstop, and the Tornados escaped the tough situation to seize the victory.

Schmitt took the hard-luck loss despite allowing just the two earned runs on seven hits, five strikeouts and no walks. The sophomore threw 101 pitches in his seven innings of work. Matt McTague (Skokie, IL/Niles North) pitched one inning in relief, retiring all three batters he faced.

The Cougars (10-5) will have some time off before beginning Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference play on Saturday, April 2. It will be a battle of the 2015 regular-season co-champions as Marian University will invade River Forest.