Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 May 7, 2016 - Tonight's baseball doubleheader in Lisle, IL featured the two teams that will head into next week's Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference tournament as its top two seeds. The Concordia Cougars had the number one seed locked up before play began tonight, but the Benedictine Eagles were looking to achieve the highest possible seed for themselves. As the other NACC results came in during the day, the Eagles saw an opportunity to finish as the number two seed, and they accomplished that by sweeping the Cougars 8-4 and 6-5, the latter in dramatic walkoff fashion.

In game one, the Cougars faced Eagles' ace Frank Greco. CUC had an early opportunity as two base hits and a walk loaded the bases with two out. But the Eagles came out unscathed as the shortstop made a nice play to snare a ball back up the middle and flip the ball to second base just in time for the force out. Benedictine then came to bat and took a 1-0 lead with one swing as Dom DeMicco blasted one deep over the rightfield fence. The Eagles doubled their lead in the second as a leadoff double moved up to third on a groundout and scored on a sacrifice fly. Another leadoff double turned into a run in the third.

The Cougars finally strung some hits together in the fifth to get on the scoreboard, Colin Bethran (Schaumburg, IL/H.S.) and Brian VanDuser (Plainfield, IL/Plainfield North) led off with sharp singles. Joe Silva (Arlington Heights, IL/Hersey) then hit a hard shout that bounced over the first baseman's glove and hugged the line all the way to the rightfield corner. Both runners scored on the hit, and Silva was in scoring position with nobody out. Silva was advanced to third, but Greco escaped as Mitch Wilson's (Oswego, IL/H.S.) drive to the rightfield corner was run down by the outfielder to keep the home team's lead at 3-2.

Benedictine's lead held up only until the next inning. Grant Davis (Morris, IL/Morris Community) and Andrew Kroncke (St. Charles, IL/St. Charles North) both lined shots back up the middle, putting runners at the corners with one out. Bethran then laid down a perfect bunt for a base hit as the tying run scored.

In the bottom of the inning, it was the Eagles' turn to respond, and they did it in a big way. After the first batter was retired, the Eagles knocked out three hits and a walk in succession to take a 4-3 lead and load the bases. Rob Lock (Chicago, IL/St. Ignatius) was summoned from the bullpen, but the Eagles' next two hitters singled, and the home team had a 7-3 lead before the last two batters were retired to end the inning. DeMicco then added a run in the seventh with his second solo homer of the day to right.

The Cougars looked to rally in the ninth as Kroncke walked and came around on a one-out double by VanDuser. However, Greco retired the next two batters to finish off his complete game and give the Eagles the victory.

Game two was a classic battle between the starting pitchers, CUC's Nick Barnhill (Normal, IL/Normal West) and Benedictine's Joe Palasiewicz.  The Cougars drew a pair of walks in the first inning, but the first runner was picked off to keep the rally from escalating. In the fourth inning, Silva and Brent Spohr (Ingleside, IL/Grant Community) collected the Cougars' first two hits, but a double play in-between likewise silenced that potential rally. Meanwhile, Barnhill limited the Eagles to just one single and two walks over the first five innings. however, it was the Eagles breaking the ice in the sixth on a leadoff homer by Nick Severino. 

Concordia-Chicago looked to rally in the seventh as Brady Roberts (Aurora, IL/Marmion Academy) led off with a sharp single. One out later, Wilson reached on a hot shot to second that was ruled an error. But on the next pittch, the Eagles turned a 6-3 double play to end the threat and keep the score at 1-0.

A soft single to right by the Eagles' leadoff hitter in the bottom of the inning ended the evening for Barnhill. Petar Arbov (Elk Grove Village, IL/Elk Grove) retired the next batter on the first pitch, but the next two hitters singled to add a run, although Silva prevented further damage by nailing the runner trying to go to third.

Down to six outs to avoid a sweep, the Cougars roared to life in the eighth. Connor Brandon (Joliet, IL/Joliet Catholic Academy) singled and Kroncke walked to start the wheels turning. Bethran was next up and showing bunt, resulting in a cat-and-mouse game with Palasiewicz. The count went full, and the 3-2 pitch saw both runners in motion. Bethran hit a bouncer between the third baseman and shortstop, scoring Brandon to cut the home team's lead in half. VanDuser then hit a scorcher off the third baseman's glove for an infield hit, loading the bases for Silva. The sophomore worked a full count while fouling off a couple of 3-2 pitches. Finally, on the tenth pitch of the at-bat, Silva found a pitch he wanted and drove it deep into the night, clearing the rightfield wall for CUC's third grand slam in two days and a 5-2 lead.

The Eagles came up in the bottom of the inning and started trouble when their first two batters reached base and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. However, Arbov minimized damage by getting the next two batters to ground to second. The runs scored, but Arbov then fanned the final batter of the inning to keep CUC in the lead at 5-4.

Matt McTague (Skokie, IL/Niles North) came on to pitch the ninth. He retired the first batter on a grounder to third. However, the next batter singled, and D.J. Dillon followed by picking on the first pitch and driving it to leftfield. Silva made a leaping attempt at the fence. but the ball had enough to elude his reach, and the Eagles celebrated their walkoff and their leap into second place.

The Cougars finished the regular season at 29-11, 16-4 in the NACC. They will play their first conference tournament game on Thursday night at 7 p.m. against an opponent yet to be determined. Information on the tournament can be viewed at this link.