CHICAGO, ILL. – The Concordia University Chicago Cougars took the field on the Southside of Chicago for a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) doubleheader against the Illinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks where a dominating performance from the Cougars swept the day. With a combined total of 48 hits across both games, the Cougars picked up their most combined runs since 2023 while the game two box score saw 26 hits, the most single-game hits since the 2019 Super Regional team picked up 26 hits against Dominican. On the day, the Cougars collected seven home runs and 16 doubles.
GAME ONE: 23-2 W
INSIDE THE BOX
- Tyler Krater (Phoenix, Ariz.) picked up two home runs in the game while going three-for-six at the plate with three RBIs.
- Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) went two-for-two at the plate with two runs and one RBI off a solo home run.
- Michael Kasik (Chandler, Ariz.) went four-for-six at the plate with three runs and team-high five RBIs with a homer of his own.
- The last of the Cougars to go long in game one was Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) who went two-for-six at the plate with two runs and three RBIs.
- Ryan Renella (Bartlett, Ill.) pitched seven innings on the mound picking up a career-high eight strikeouts in 27 batters faced to pick up his second win of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Cougars struggled to get going early on after eight batters across two innings resulted in a 0-0 game heading to the top of the third. With an officiating mishap resulting in an Elijah Hickman (Rensselaer, Ind.) solo home run being erased from the board, the Cougars headed into the top of the fourth trailing by two with a chip on their shoulder.
- After the Scarlet Hawks put two runs on the board off a home run, J. Mahler would send a ball deep into right center to put one run on the board while Krater would send one to left field in the next at bat to level the score at two apiece. A mere seven pitches into the inning would result in a pitching change for Illinois Tech, but the Cougars showed no signs of slowing down.
- In the top of the fifth, a walk for Richie Sperando (Darien, Ill.) would put a runner on base while a single from Tyler Dorsch (Phoenix, Ariz.) would put two runners on. Back-to-back passed balls would allow the runners to move around and Sperando would take that opportunity to score and put the Cougars ahead for the first time of the day. With Dorsch planted on third base, a single from Kasik would score and give CUC a bit of a cushion. With yet another new pitcher for the Scarlet Hawks, a walk for J. Mahler would put one on base with B. Mahler at the plate. A long ball deep into the trees would score the Mahler Twins and put the Cougars up 6-2 heading into the bottom of the fifth.
- A quick bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a Renella strikeout, would send things right back to the Cougar bats. The top of the seventh would see the next CUC run off a double from Kasik and a walk for J. Mahler before a double steal attempt would send Kasik across the plate to take the 7-2 lead.
- A pair of strikeouts at the hands of Renella would tee up the top of the eighth for the Cougars where a leadoff double for Yashion Boswell (Lynwood, Ill.) would put a runner on for a Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) single to put runners on the corner bags. With Hickman wearing a pitch to load the bases, a single from Sperando would put the first run of the inning on the board and put the Cougars up 8-2.
- Dorsch would tack on three runs after a bases-clearing double score Sperando, Hickman, and Holloway while a two run homer from Kasik would clear the bags completely and put CUC up 13-2 with no outs.
- Connor Jerkatis (New Lenox, Ill.) would safely make his way to first while the second home run from Krater would clear the bases yet again and put CUC up 15-2 with still no outs on the board.
- Officially making their way through the full batting order with only one out now, Boswell would collect his second hit of the inning with a single while Hickman would take a free base yet again and put runners on first and second. With Xavier Zagerman (Chandler, Ariz.) entering the game for the first time of the day, a single would score one run and put runners on the corner bags. With a walk for Dorsch to load the bases up, a single from Kasik would score two runs and put the Cougars up 18-2 with two outs on in the inning.
- With no sign of slowing down, a two-RBI single for Josiah King (Fairland, Ind.) would put the Cougars at the 20 run threshold while putting one runner on base for Krater to pick up a double. A single from B. Mahler would score King while a double from Boswell would score Krater and B. Mahler to give the Cougars their final runs of the game while closing the top of the eighth with 16 runs on 13 hits.
- With Bryce Jones (Ottowa, Ill.) stepping onto the mound for the Cougars, three outs in four batters would close the game and give CUC the monster 23-2 victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
GAME TWO: 19-3 W
INSIDE THE BOX
- Krater continued to swing big for the Cougars picking up his third home run of the day while going three-for-four at the plate with three runs and four RBIs, bringing his totals for the day to six-for-ten at the plate with six runs and seven RBIs.
- J. Mahler, Zagerman, and Dom Owens (Frankfurt, Ill.) each went four-for-five at the plate collecting four runs and four RBIs, two runs and two RBIs, and two runs and four RBIS, respectively.
- J. Mahler, Krater, and Owens combined for 12 of 19 RBIs in the game with Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.) contributing three and Boswell and Zagerman each contributing two.
- Dylan Ferraro (Windsor, Colo.) pitched six innings for the Cougars picking up two strikeouts in his fourth win of the season.
- Ryker Keller (Troy, Ill.) picked up his first career strikeout in the maroon and gold with two strikeouts in his five batters faced for a total of 18 innings pitched.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Picking up right where game one ended, a leadoff double from Dorsch would put a runner on base early. A single from Kasik would put runners on the corner bags while a single from J. Mahler would score one and reset runners on the corner bags. A sac fly from Krater to centerfield would give Kasik enough time to score while leaving J. Mahler planted at first.
- A double from Owens would put runners on second and third while a double from Boswell would score both of them and leave one runner on base. A single from Buckley would clear the bases while a single from Zagerman would tack one last run on and close the first inning with a 6-0 lead in favor of CUC.
- The Scarlet Hawks would put one run up in their half of the inning, but the Cougars would answer right back in the top of the second. A leadoff single from Kasik would put a runner of while a single from J. Mahler paired with a walk for Krater would load the bases up. Making himself two-for-two at this point, Owens would send a deep double to score three and put the Cougars up 9-1. A sac bunt from Boswell paired with a groundout from Buckley would score Owens and CUC would officially hit the ten run mark to close the inning.
- A quick three up, three down at the hands of Ferraro would send things right back to the hot Cougar bats, where an additional two runs of four hits from Dorsch, J. Mahler, Krater, and Owens would put CUC up 12-1.
- Three outs in four batters would once again give CUC a quick inning in the field and let the hitters get back to work. For the fourth consecutive inning, the Cougars would score runs with a solo home run from Zagerman keeping the streak alive himself.
- Despite the Scarlet Hawks picking up two hits in the bottom of the fourth, the Cougars would hold them to one run that the Cougar offense would quickly erase with a pair of runs on their own in their next at bat. A double from Krater would put one runner on while Owens would extend out to four-for-four and pick up an RBI single to put the Cougars ahead 14-2. A single from Buckley would allow Boswell to score from first and put the Cougars up 15-2 at the end of the inning.
- The bottom of the fifth would be closed out with a double play spearheaded by Ferraro would let the Cougars get back to their business on the offensive end. A leadoff double for Zagerman paired with a free base for Kasik would put two runners on while a double from J. Mahler would score them both. With one runner on base, Krater would collect his third homer of the day and put the Cougars up 19-2.
- The Scarlet Hawks would put one run up in the bottom of the sixth, but leave the Cougars still ahead by 16 runs. The top of the seventh would be the only inning the Cougars wouldn't score, but they would still find success with hits from Zagerman and Jerkatis to close the inning.
- With the run-rule in place, the Cougars would close the game out with back-to-back strikeouts from Keller to secure the 19-3 victory for the Cougars.
HIGHLIGHTS
CUC will continue their road stretch with a doubleheader in Wisconsin on Saturday as they travel to Wisconsin Lutheran. First pitch is slated for noon while all coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.
