PLYMOUTH, WIS. – In a sunny day matchup between the Concordia University Chicago Cougars and the Lakeland University Muskies as the battle for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) tournament continues to intensify. The Cougars split with the Muskies despite a dominating game one win. 


GAME ONE: 14-2 W
INSIDE THE BOX

• Tyler Dorsch (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Michael Kasik (Chandler, Ariz.) each went 3-5 at the plate with Dorsch bringing in four RBIs and Kasik bringing in one.
• Alejandro Muñoz (Evergreen Park, Ill.) (Evergreen Park, Ill.) went 2-3 at the plate with three RBIs off a double and a triple on the day.
• David Deimling (Bloomingdale, Ill.) picked up his third win of the season after pitching four innings with no runs scored, seven strikeouts, and only two hits.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars kicked things off with a double from Dorsch and a stolen base to put a runner 90 feet from the plate. A single up the middle from Kasik would send Dorsch across the plate and put the Cougars up 1-0 heading to the bottom of the first.
• A leadoff strikeout for Deimling would start things off in the field before a series of walks would put three runners on base before another strikeout and a flyout to right field would close the inning with the Muskies scoreless.
• In the top of the second, the Cougars came to life after three consecutive walks to start the inning would load the bases up. Five consecutive hits would move runners around the bags and put the Cougars up 6-0 heading to the bottom of the second.
• In the bottom of the second, three outs in three batters would hand things over to the Cougars while the bats were still hot.
• Keeping the hot streak alive, the Cougars jumpstarted the inning with a single to left field from Connor Jerkatis (New Lenox, Ill.) while a triple to right center for Muñoz would score one and put a runner on third. A single to left field from Yashion Boswell (Lynwood, Ill.) would score another and force a pitching change for the Muskies.
• Following the pitching change, a leadoff single for Elijah Hickman (Rensselaer, Ind.) would put runners on first and second for Dorsch to send a rocket straight back over the centerfield fence and add three more runs to the tally, putting the Cougars up 11-0.
• Bottom of the third saw minimal action as a leadoff strikeout at the hands of Deimling paired with a groundout to Muñoz at short and a groundout to Deimling would close the inning and hand things back to the Cougars.
• Things would sit stagnant until the top of the seventh where the Cougars would tack on a trio of runs of a single through the left side for Mahler and a triple to right center for Sergio Vazquez Jr. (Concord, Calif.). With Jerkatis finding his way on base off a walk, a double from Muñoz would send both runners in and close the top half of the inning with the 14 run advantage for the Cougars.
• The bottom of the seventh would be the do or die time for the Muskies, and able to tack on two runs off three hits, would fall short of extending the game and give the Cougars the 14-2 victory.

 
 
GAME TWO: 17-14 L
INSIDE THE BOX

• Krater led at the plate going 3-6 with two homeruns and four total RBIs.
• Dorsch went 3-5 at the plate with one RBI of one double.
• Kasik and Boswell each went 2-4 at the plate with one and three RBIs, respectively.
• Bryce Jones (Ottawa, Ill.) worked on the mound with 3.2 innings pitched allowing only one run and picking up six strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars picked up momentum early on in the game with a leadoff triple to from Hickman while a wild pitch would score him and put the Cougars up 1-0 in the first inning. A solo homerun from Krater moments later would put the Cougars up 2-0 at the end of their half of the inning.
• With Wyatt McLaughlin (Cave Creek, Ariz.) dishing on the mound, the Cougars closed the first inning after three batters and turned things back to the hot bats of the Cougars. In the top of the second, a walk for Caleb Anderson (Plainfield, Ill.) and a double for Boswell would score one more and put the Cougars up 3-0. Another three up three down inning at the hands of McLaughlin would give the Cougars a chance to hit once again.
• A leadoff walk for Dorsch would put one on base while Krater's second homerun of the game would put the Cougars up 5-0.
• A tough bottom half of the inning for the Cougars would give the Muskies the chance to break things open and take the lead 6-5 for the first time of the day. Flipping the narrative, the Cougars would fall in order in the top of the fourth and let the Muskies keep their bats hot. With another nine runs off nine hits, the Cougars would trail by ten heading to the top of the fifth.
• Despite some rallying attempts back, highlighted by hits from Dorsch, Kasik, Anderson, Krater, and Boswell the Cougars would be unable to dig themselves out of the deficit.

The Cougars now sit 9-13 in the NACC and sit just one spot away from the conference tournament. They take on the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons on May 3^rd for their final regular season matchup as they look to sneak their way into the tournament. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.