RIVER FOREST, ILL. -- The Concordia University Chicago baseball team took on the Marian University Sabres on Saturday, April 6th, falling to the Sabres for the first time since 2015.


GAME ONE: 2-1 L
INSIDE THE BOX

• Five Cougars secured hits in the game in Tyler Dorsch (Phoenix, Ariz.), Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.), Michael Kasik (Chandler, Ariz.), Yashion Boswell (Lynwood, Ill.), and Elijah Hickman (Rensselaer, Ind.).
• Kasik recorded the lone RBI of the game while Mahler and Hickman each secured a double in the game.
• Wyatt McLaughlin (Cave Creek, Ariz.) pitched four innings for the Cougars with seven strikeouts in 20 batters faced.
• Dylan Ferraro (Windsor, Colo.) worked 1.1 innings for the Cougars while picking up a career high three strikeouts.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• A stalemate first inning saw a total of six batters between the two squads. With no hits for either team in the first go around, the Sabres tried to get things going in the top of the second but three strikeouts at the hands of McLaughlin would keep the scoreboard blank for a little while longer. With only three batters at the plate for the Cougars in the bottom of the second, the Cougar defense went back to work once again.
• After the Sabres were able to sneak a run in during the top of the third, the Cougars were officially operating under a deficit. With two quick outs in the bottom of the third, a double to left field from Hickman would give CUC their first hit of the day. Unable to convert, the Sabres would head behind the bats once again where they would extend their lead to two runs.
• Needing to find their groove, the Cougars got things going with a double from Mahler to put him in scoring position. With a single up the right field line from Kasik, Mahler would be able to round third and make his way across the plate standing up. Despite back-to-back outs the Cougars cut their deficit in half in the inning.
• With a new arm on the mound for the Cougars to start the top of the fifth, Anthony Pullano (Park Ridge, Ill.) would be able to hold the Sabres off again forcing two outs in the air and one in the infield.
• Despite both squads seeing hits in every inning for the remainder of the game, the Cougars would be unable to overcome the deficit and fall in game one 2-1.

 
 
GAME TWO: 11-7
INSIDE THE BOX

• Dom Owens (Frankfort, Ill.) made his season debut behind the plate while going two-for-three at the plate with two runs.
• Hickman also went two-for-three in game two while also tacking on three RBIs and two stolen bases.
• Seven Cougars made appearances on the mound in Dylan Scott (Bartlett, Ill.), Richard Gomez (Chicago, Ill.), David Gutierrez (Hesperia, Calif.), Dax Meyer (Lombard, Ill.), Kyle Ston (Winfield, Ill.), Eliot Higgins (Park Ridge, Ill.), and Ferraro.

 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Scott got things going on the mound for the Cougars in the top of the first, forcing three outs in the field in four batters. Facing a similar start to game one, the Cougars saw a quick first at bat, only seeing three batters for three outs. With Scott doing his work on the mound, the Cougars would hold the Sabres to another scoreless inning and hand things back to the CUC offense.
• A leadoff single from Kasik would bring Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) to the plate to send a ball to right field and put runners on first and second. Facing a balk, runners would make their way to second and third while a single to left from Caleb Anderson (Plainfield, Ill.) would score the first run of the day and move J. Mahler 90 feet from the plate. Two consecutive free bases for CUC would score J. Mahler while a sacrifice fly from Julio Cajigas (Romeoville, Ill.) would score another and put the Cougars up 3-0.
• Retaliating rather quickly, the Sabres would put up four runs in the top of the third after two scoreless innings to steal the lead and put the pressure back on the Cougars. A blank inning for the Cougars would give the Sabres the chance to add on and take the two run advantage.
• Heading to the bottom of the fourth, a leadoff single from Owens paired with a balk and advancing on a hit would put him in scoring position where Hickman's single would score him.
• As Hickman worked his way around the bases, a balk would send him home and even things up once again.
• The Sabres wouldn't take long to find their advantage again after picking up three runs on three hits in the top of the fifth while holding the Cougars to three quick outs in the bottom of the inning.
• With Gomez on the mound in the top of the sixth, a strikeout and a two groundouts close the inning and give CUC the chance to steal momentum.
• Back-to-back singles from Anderson and Owens would put one in scoring position for a single from Hickman to score. A sacrifice fly from Cajigas would score another and bring the Cougar deficit down to one run.
• A game-high five hits in the top of the seventh from the Sabres would score three runs and give them the lead in which they would not relinquish. As the Cougars needed to find a way back, two of the four remaining innings at bat that would see three batters each would be the downfall and close the game 11-7.

 
The Cougars fall to 10-12 overall and 3-5 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). They face a quick turnaround as they head to Lisle, Ill. to take on the nationally ranked Benedictine Eagles tomorrow, April 7^th, with first pitch set for noon. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.