GREENWOOD, IND. – After what seemed like an eternity of rescheduling, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team finally took the field in Indiana on Sunday morning to officially kickoff their season. The Cougars split the day with an opening loss to Franklin College and a closing victory over North Park University to leave The Hoosier State with a 1-1 record.
 
GAME ONE: 4-3 L vs Franklin
INSIDE THE BOX

• Elijah Hickman (Rensselaer, Ind.) led the way going two-for-four at the plate with two RBIs from a two-run homerun in the top of the ninth. Hickman was the only Cougar to record more than one hit in the game.
• Tyler Dorsch (Phoenix, Ariz.) picked up his lone hit of the game in the top of the ninth inning to put himself on base as the game tying run. Dorsch would also be the only Cougar to steal bags and collect two stolen bases.
• Michael Southard (Northbrook, Ill.) got the nod to start in the season opener where he pitched four innings, picking up five strikeouts in 15 batters faced.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Cougars batted first and secured a leadoff hit from Hickman before back-to-back strikeouts would close the inning with the Cougars scoreless. Southard would go to work in the bottom of the first and pick up three consecutive strikeouts in his maroon and gold debut to give the Cougar hitters a chance to strike first.
• In a hitter's stalemate, both teams would struggle to get hot at the plate until the Grizzlies got things moving in the bottom of the first with a solo homerun.
• In a deficit for the first time of the day, the Cougars got to work with a single up the middle from Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) and a double from Yashion Boswell (Lynwood, Ill.) that would put runners into scoring position. With a hard rocket off the bat from Xavier Zagerman (Chandler, Ariz.) Holloway would make his way home and level the score at one apiece.
• With a fresh arm in for the Cougars, a groundout and a strikeout at the hands of Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.) would give the Cougars two outs, but with two on base for the Grizzlies, a shot to deep left field would put them ahead 4-1.
• Facing another hitter's stalemate and going three scoreless innings, the Cougars would find themselves in a do-or-die top of the ninth inning while trailing by three. With two quick strikeouts giving the Cougars one last chance to equalize, they did just that. After Zagerman took a free base, Hickman would send a rocket to centerfield and pick up the two-run homer to leave the Cougars trailing by one.
• Dorsch would come to life after going zero-for-four at the plate and pick up his first hit with a single through the left side to officially put the go-ahead run at the plate. Unable to convert on the momentum, the Cougars would fall in game one 4-3, leaving Dorsch on base to close the game.

 
GAME TWO: 9-8 W vs North Park
INSIDE THE BOX

• Three Cougars recorded multiple hits in game two in Holloway, Boswell, and Zagerman.
• Zagerman would secure a team-high three RBIs on two hits while also picking up his first career homerun.
• Two new faces would see the mound for the Cougars in Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.) and Benjamin Tietyen (Oak Creek, Wis.), both picking up three strikeouts.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A couple early walks for the Vikings would put runners on base, but with two runners on base a throw from behind the plate from Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) to Michael Kasik (Chandler, Ariz.) at first would end the inning with no damage done.
• The Cougars would continue struggling at the plate and a quick three up, three down would give the Vikings another opportunity to strike first, where they would capitalize and go up 2-0. Another three up, three down for the Cougars would let the Vikings add another run on in the top of the third and leave the Cougars trailing by three.
• In the bottom of the third, a leadoff walk for Holloway would put a runner on while Hickman would find a free base after wearing a pitch off the helmet. A triple to deep right center from Dorsch would send two home and cut the CUC deficit down to one.
• Holding the Vikings off in the top of the fourth, the Cougars would go to work in their half of the inning with two outs after back-to-back infield groundouts. Two singles through the left side would put runners on base while a single from Boswell would send one run in to level the score.
• With Zagerman at the plate, he would launch a long ball to center field to clear the bases and pick up his first career homerun and put the Cougars up 6-3.
• With the Cougars holding the Vikings off in the top of the fifth, a hit from Kasik paired with a Viking error would load the bases. With a bases loaded walk, the Cougars would go up by four heading into the top of the sixth.
• Holding steady at 7-3 in favor of the Cougars, things would rattle in the top of the eighth after four consecutive walks would load the bases and score a run to start to chip away at the CUC lead. With Eliot Higgins (Park Ridge, Ill.) on the bump to try to clear out the already loaded bases, the Vikings would capitalize and score four runs to officially take the lead over the Cougars and go up by one.
• Holding stagnant for the bottom of the eighth and the top of the ninth, the Cougars would head into the bottom of the ninth in yet another do-or-die scenario. A leadoff strikeout would burn one out for CUC while back-to-back singles from Krater and Mahler would put two on base. A single to center from Holloway would score one and tie the game up, leaving the option for a walkoff or extra innings.
• With two outs, Boswell took to the plate and dropped a ball into deep center field to score a run and give the Cougars the walkoff win.

 
The Cougars will be back in action on Friday as they begin a nine game series in The Sunshine State. First pitch in Florida is set for 1:00 PM EST against Grove City College. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.