RIVER FOREST, ILL. -- The Concordia University Chicago baseball team took the home turf, dropping two games to the Rockford University Regents.
GAME ONE: 17-8 L
INSIDE THE BOX
- Michael Kasik (Chandler, Ariz.) led the way for the Cougars going two-for-three at the plate with three runs and one walk.
- Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) followed suit going two-for-three at the plate with one run and two walks.
- Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.) led the team in RBIs collecting three in the game with only one hit.
- Six arms dealt for the Cougars in Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.), Bryce Jones (Ottowa, Ill.), Kadin Borck (McHenry, Ill.), Jack Linko (New Lenox, Ill.), Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.), and Benjamin Tietyen (Oak Creek, Wis.).
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Regents wasted no time getting things going after a leadoff solo home run would put them up 1-0 immediately. Three more hits in top of the first would put them ahead 3-0 and leave the Cougars trailing from the first batter of the game. On the Cougars' offense side of the inning, they would be unable to retaliate and head to the top of the second still trailing. The Regents would once again put three runs up in the top of the second off yet another home run leaving the Cougars trailing by six.
- The Cougars would start to find their groove after a three up, three down top of the third from the hands of Renella would juice the Cougars up for the bottom of the third. With Kasik getting on base after wearing a pitch on the arm, Mahler would single to left field and put runners on first and second. A walk for Tyler Krater (Phoenix, Ariz.) would load the bases up while a ball hit into the infield would score Kasik and put the first run on the board.
- The score would sit stagnant until the top of the fifth where yet another home run would put two runs ont he board while a collective four hits would extend the Regents out to an eight run lead.
- The Cougars would finally find some momentum in the bottom of the fifth after a leadoff walk for Kasik paired with a single from Mahler would jump start the inning. Dom Owens (Frankfurt, Ill.) would move runners around and score the first run of the inning. A double from Buckley would score two more and bring the Cougars within four. With Buckley sitting on third, a single from Tyler Dorsch (Phoenix, Ariz.) would score another and make it a three run game.
- The Cougars would hold the Regents scoreless in the top of the sixth and hand things right back over to the Cougar offense. In the bottom of the sixth, the Cougars would jump start things with a leadoff double from Kasik and a walk for Krater and on a wild pitch would move runners to second and third. With a walk for Owens and a walk for Yashion Boswell (Lynwood, Ill.), the Regents would walk a run in and make it a a two run game. A hard hit ball into the infield would move the runners and put another run on the board and make this a one-run ball game, the closest margin of the game.
- The Regents would climb back in the top of the seventh and put three runs up off three hits and leave the Cougars trailing 12-8. Unable to combat the tight Regent defense, the Cougars would fall 17-8.
HIGHLIGHTS
GAME TWO: 9-7 L
INSIDE THE BOX
- Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) led the way going two-for-three at the plate
- Boswell followed behind going two-for-four at the plate with two RBIs.
- Krater and J. Mahler rounded out the multi-hit Cougars with each of them going two-for-five at the plate while Krater was the lone Cougar to put one out of the park.
- Six arms went to work in game two in Dylan Ferraro (Windsor, Colo.), Connor FitzGerald (Chicago, Ill.), Jack Carroll (North Aurora, Ill.), Eliot Higgins (Park Ridge, Ill.), Blake Hickey (Chicago, Ill.), and Linko.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Regents would once again strike first in the top of the first and once again in the top of the second to go ahead 2-0 early in the game once again. This game, CUC would battle back early after putting on a leadoff baserunner in Krater after wearing a pitch off the leg. B. Mahler would double to right field to move Krater to third while a double from Boswell would score one and move B. Mahler to third. A sacrifice fly from Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) would level the score at two apiece.
- After a few scoreless innings, the Cougars would take the lead for the first time of the day with a single from J. Mahler that would score off a double from Krater. B. Mahler would put a ball off the exact same spot off the centerfield wall and score another run to put the Cougars up 4-2 -- giving them their first lead of the entire day.
- The Regents would answer back in the top of the sixth with one run off two hits, but CUC would get to work once again. A single from Buckley to lead off the inning, paired with a single from Xavier Zagerman (Chandler, Ariz.) would put runners on first and second. With Buckley making his way to third base, a double from Kasik would score one and extend the CUC lead to 5-3.
- The Regents would answer in the top of the seventh with four runs off three hits and regain the lead, leaving the Cougars trailing once again. In the bottom of the inning, a solo home run from Krater would bring the Cougars within one run and reshift the momentum back to the Cougars.
- Holding the score at 7-6 in favor of the Regents untilt he bottom of the ninth, the Cougars would get things going with a leadoff single from J. Mahler. A walk for B. Mahler would put runners on first and second while a single from Boswell would score the game tying run. Despite the Cougars getting a runner around to third base, the Cougars would be unable to capitilze on the runner and force the game to extra innings.
- In the top of the tenth, Linko would enter on the mound for the Cougars and be unable to score on their one hit after a monster double play from Zagerman would ge the Cougars out of the inning with the chance to control their own fate. A retaliation double play from the Regents would leave the entire tenth inning scoreless and send thigns back to the top fo the 11th with the Regents looking to get things rolling.
- A leadoffs solo home run from the Regents would put them ahead in the game while two more hits would socre one more run and force the Cougars to put up two runs in the bottom of the inning to stay alive. Running out of gas in the tank, the Cougars would go down in order and close the game with the 9-7 loss.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Cougars will be back action on Saturday at The Thunderdome for Senior Day as they take on the Lakeland University Muskies. First pitch slated for noon while Senior Day festivities start at 10:45am am. Live coverage will be available at cucougars.com/coverage.
