RIVER FOREST, ILL. – The Concordia University Chicago baseball team delivered a pair of gritty performances on their home field, using late-game heroics and timely pitching to sweep Milwaukee School of Engineering in a pivotal Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) doubleheader. After rallying from a four-run deficit in game one behind a dramatic eighth-inning surge, the Cougars carried that momentum into game two, riding a five-run third inning and a lockdown bullpen effort to complete the sweep.
GAME ONE: 10-9 W
INSIDE THE BOX
- Brandon Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) powered the offense, going three-for-four with a home run, double, and four RBIs, including the go-ahead blast late.
- Brendan Holloway (Vernon Hills, Ill.) added a strong performance at the plate, finishing two-for-five with two RBIs and two runs scored.
- Jake Mahler (Vernon Hills, Ill.) crossed the plate three times while driving in one.
- Anthony Pullano (Park Ridge, Ill.) earned his first win out of the bullpen after throwing a scoreless inning, while Kyle Connelly (New Lenox, Ill.) picked up his fifth save of the season.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Cougars wasted no time jumping ahead, manufacturing two runs in the bottom of the first without needing a big swing. Cam Buckley (New Lenox, Ill.) worked a leadoff walk and aggressively moved into scoring position on a balk and wild pitch before Holloway laced an RBI single to left. After B. Mahler was intentionally walked to create a force, Jack Linko (New Lenox, Ill.) kept the pressure on with a single, and Dom Owens (Frankfurt, Ill.) brought home another on a fielder's choice to give CUC an early 2-0 edge.
- CUC added on in the third inning behind extra-base power and heads-up baserunning. J. Mahler reached with a single before B. Mahler ripped a double into the gap, scoring one and advancing to third on the throw. A miscue by the Raiders allowed another run to cross, extending the lead to 4-1.
- MSOE began to chip away in the fourth, capitalizing on a hit-by-pitch and a single to plate one before a sacrifice fly—combined with a defensive error—brought home another to cut the lead to 4-3. The momentum fully swung in the fifth inning, where the Raiders strung together multiple hits, including two home runs, to post a four-run frame and take a 7-4 lead. They continued to apply pressure in the sixth with a sacrifice fly and again in the seventh, using a pair of hits and another Cougar error to stretch the advantage to 9-5.
- Trailing by four late, the Cougars showed resilience in the bottom of the eighth. Jeffery Beckert (Mount Prospect, Ill.) sparked the rally with a leadoff double, and Richie Sperando (Darien, Ill.) followed with a walk to put two on with no outs. After Buckley advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, Holloway came through again with an RBI single to cut into the deficit. J. Mahler followed with a ground ball that resulted in another run crossing after a defensive misplay, suddenly making it a one-run game.
- With two runners still on, B. Mahler delivered the defining moment of the contest, launching a towering three-run home run to left field to cap a five-run inning and flip the score to 10-9 in favor of CUC.
- On the mound, Pullano provided a steady inning in the eighth to halt MSOE's momentum, and Connelly slammed the door in the ninth. The closer struck out two and induced a routine groundout to seal the dramatic comeback victory.
HIGHLIGHTS
GAME TWO: 5-3 W
INSIDE THE BOX
- Dom Owens (Frankfort, Ill.) delivered the decisive blow with a three-run home run, finishing with three RBIs.
- Brendan Holloway recorded two hits and an RBI, while Jeffery Beckert added two hits of his own.
- Michael Southard (3-0) earned the win with five innings of work, striking out six.
- Connelly notched his sixth save of the season, closing out the final inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Game two opened with immediate pressure from MSOE, as the Raiders used aggressive baserunning and timely hitting to strike for two runs in the top of the first. A pair of singles put runners on, and a stolen base sequence allowed one run to score before another came home on an infield play combined with a Cougar error, giving MSOE a quick 2-0 lead.
- The Cougars threatened in the second, taking advantage of an error and a walk to put runners in scoring position, but were unable to capitalize. That changed in the third inning when CUC broke through in a big way. Sperando drew a leadoff walk, and Buckley followed with a single to put two on. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position before Holloway delivered an RBI single to get the Cougars on the board. Another wild pitch allowed Buckley to score, tying the game at 2-2 and shifting momentum.
- After J. Mahler reached on a fielder's choice and B. Mahler was intentionally walked, the Cougars loaded the bases for Owens. The senior made the Raiders pay, crushing a three-run home run to right field to cap a five-run inning and give CUC a commanding 5-2 lead.
- MSOE answered with a run in the fifth after a leadoff double and a run-scoring single, trimming the deficit to 5-3. However, that would be the final push from the Raiders.
- From there, the Cougar pitching staff took control. Southard worked through five innings, limiting damage despite early traffic while striking out six. Dylan Scott (Bartlett, Ill.) entered and navigated two scoreless innings, working around hits in both frames. Kyle Ston (Winfield, Ill.) followed with a clean eighth, stranding a runner at third after a defensive miscue.
- Holding a two-run lead in the ninth, Connelly returned to the mound and once again delivered under pressure, retiring the side to secure the 5-3 win and complete the sweep.
HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT'S NEXT
The Cougars continue conference play as they look to build momentum heading into the final stretch of the regular season, with postseason positioning on the line as they travel to face Rockford University with a 12:00 pm start time in Rockford, Ill. Coverage can be found at cucougars.com.
