Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 April 3, 2016 - Beginning defense of their 2015 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference title, today did not go quite as anticipated for the Concordia-Chicago Cougars. The Cougars delivered a flat performance in game one of their doubleheader against the Milwaukee School of Engineering, losing to the Raiders by an 11-4 score. The Cougars did manage a split of the twinbill, however, with a 9-3 victory in game two at the Rock Complex in Franklin, WI.

The Cougars grabbed a 1-0 lead in game one when Brady Roberts (Aurora, IL/Marmion Academy) doubled in the second and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Joe Sliva (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey). However, the Raiders came back to score five runs in the bottom of the inning. Five walks contributed the most to the trouble, along with a two-run single by MSOE's pitcher/DH Garrett Willems that gave the hosts a 5-1 lead.

A two-out single by Brent Spohr (Ingleside, IL/Grant Community) pulled back a run in the third. An unearned run got the Cougars within 5-3 in the fourth, but the Raiders came back with a three-spot in their half. Silva's double in the fifth made it 8-4, but that was as close as CUC came. The Raiders tacked on three in the sixth to win going away.

Cougar fans making the trip up north were hoping for an early response from the team om game two, and they got it in the first. Bryan Van Duser (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a one-out single by Andrew Massey (Chicago, IL/St. Rita). Massey later scored on an error to give CUC a 2-0 edge.

The Raiders would not go away as they pulled back a run in the second. Then, in the third, a single and double put MSOE in business. Consecutive infield outs pushed across both runs, giving the Raiders a 3-2 lead.

MSOE's lead lasted only a short time. In the fourth, with one out, Connor Brandon (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) launched his second homer of the season, a blast to right-center that was unaffected by the windy conditions at the Rock. In the following inning, another ball to right-center gave the Cougars the lead at 4-3. That came off the bat of Massey and went for a triple to score Van Duser, who had reached base on a bunt single. Massey then scored when Roberts' sharp grounder to third was mishandled by the third baseman.

The Cougars added a run in the sixth when Brandon singled, moved to second on a walk to Doug Matthews (Crest Hill, IL/Lockport Township), and scored on a two-out single by Grant Davis (Morris, IL/Morris Community). In the seventh, they doubled their lead to six as Sliva singled to score Roberts. Brandon followed with another rocket, this one to left field for a two-run shot and the final runs of the day.

Adam Schmitt ((Peoria, IL/Limestone) rode the Cougars' run support for his third win of the season. Schmitt pitched eight innings and allowed the three runs on five hits, retiring the final 11 hitters he faced, before Nick Barnhill (Normal, IL/Normal West) pitched a scoreless ninth.

Concordia-Chicago (11-6, 1-1 NACC) will look to play the April 2 games versus Marian University within the next few days. The Cougars are scheduled to host Aurora University on Saturday, April 9.