April 21, 2018 - The Concordia-Chicago baseball team had little time to dwell on Friday night's losses in Wisconsin, but it probably didn't matter because the Cougars had the answer ready. The Cougars looked like their old selves today, and it twas the MSOE Raiders that paid the price. Concordia-Chicago, playing as the visiting team on their own field today, nevertheless recorded a pair of lopsided wins today, 10-0 and 13-1 (game two shortened to seven innings).

After a parade of pitchers took the mound last night, today's starting pitchers took care of business by themselves. In game one, Keaton Conner tossed a masterful nine innings, throwing 66 of his 108 pitches for strikes. Conner scattered eight hits and struck out four without walking a batter.

MSOE's Michael Boehmer did his best to keep the Raiders in the game, allowing just three runs (one earned) through the first eight innings before CUC erupted for seven runs in the top of the ninth. The Cougars scored twice in the second when, with runners on the corners, Brady Roberts popped one up in foul territory and dropped by the third baseman. Given a second chance, Roberts smacked a single up the middle for the first run of the game. Later in the inning, Jose Mercado's infield chopper went for a single, scoring Kevin Coppin for a 2-0 lead.

The Cougars added a third run in the fourth as Keegan Tyrell reached on an infield single. Tyrell stole second, went to third on a grounder to the right side and scored on Roberts' sacrifice fly.

Cocnordia-Chicago rapped out 12 hits over the first eight innings, and the effort finally caught up to Boehmer as CUC hit him and reliever Matt Mahopp for seven runs. Mercado batted twice in the inning and drove in a run each time, and Andrew Massey singled home two runs. Connor Brandon also singled home a run as part of the rally, and he and Mercado, the eight-nine hitters in the order, combined for seven hits, four runs and seven RBIs.

In game two, Brian Musielak improved to 3-1 on the season. His lucky number was seven as he threw seven innings, allowed one run on seven hits while striking out seven and walking none.

The scoring began in the third with two out, as Joe Silva and Massey hit back-to-back doubles, and Mitch Wilson lined an RBI single to center for a 2-0 lead. The lead became 4-0 in the fourth as one run scored on a throwing error, and another run scored on a sacrifice fly by Silva. The Raiders had a chance to get back into the game when they came to bat in the bottom of the inning. Owen's Burnikel's double scored a run and put runners on third and second with just one out. However, a safety squeeze attempt turned into a 1-3-2 double play, and the Cougars were out of the inning, leading 4-1.

Concordia-Chicago got that run back in the fifth on Matt Fauth's infield single  The Cougars then put this game on ice with five runs in ths sixth and three in the seventh. Massey highlighted the rally in the sixth when he worked a 13-pitch at-bat, fouling off several two-strike pitches. One run scored during the at-bat on a wild pitch, and Massey ripped the 13th pitch for a double to bring home another run. In the seventh, two-out singles by Wilson, Coppin and Justin Rodriguez completed the scoring, and the Cougars were able to complete an abbreviated nightcap with the 12-run victory.

"I was very impressed with the way we responded today after last night," said CUC head coach Mike Stawski. "Our seniors had never been swept in conference play, and they were the ones that came out today - Silva, Wilson, Massey, our two starting pitchers - everyone just fell in line. We still have a very busy stretch ahead of us, but it was good for us to get back to business in this way today."

The Cougars (19-7, 6-2 NACC) will host Dominican University on Sunday at noon..





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