(Palos Heights, IL) - The Concordia University Baseball Team traveled to the Schaff Athletics Complex to face the Trinity Christian College Trolls in a non-conference doubleheader on Thursday. The Cardinals would play two exciting games, winning them both 8-2 and 8-6 to extend their winning streak to 16.
Game 1: Concordia 8, Trinity Christian 2
Bryon Mane started on the mound for the Cardinals. Mane threw five innings, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts and no walks. Ryan VanSlambrouck relieved Mane in the sixth inning and threw two innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
The Cardinals got on the board in the first inning when Tyler Lawson, the courtesy runner for the catcher, scored when he attempted to steal third base. Lawson successfully stole the bag and scored on a throwing error by the catcher to put the Cardinals on the board 1-0.
In the top of the second inning, Alex Piotrowski, Harrison Ryan, and Matthew Dubrick all walked to load the bases. Jake Kuhlman continued his impressive season thus far with a two RBI double that scored Piotrowski and Ryan. Not long after, Derek Hebner hit a double of his own to score Dubrick and Kuhlman to make it a 5-0 game after two innings.
The Cardinals scored two more runs in the top of the fourth inning, starting with a sacrifice bunt from Tyler Wressel that scored Kuhlman. Justin Kozlowski would bring home another run on a single to right field that scored Josh Burke to make it 7-0.
The Trolls got their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning on a fielder's choice from Hector Mendoza that scored Omar Wright to make it 7-1.
In the top of the sixth inning, Burke hit a solo homerun to left field to make it 8-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning.
The Trolls would score one run in the bottom of the seventh inning on a throwing error from the catcher Wressel that scored Carter Chaney to make it 8-2, which would be the final score.
Game 2: Concordia 8, Trinity Christian 6
Drew Murphy started the second game for the Cardinals and threw two innings, allowing two runs on four hits with one strikeout and no walks. Kyle Winslow relieved Murphy in the third inning and threw one inning, allowing four runs on three hits with one strikeout and one walk.
Dylan Kints came in for Winslow in the fourth inning and threw two innings, allowing no runs on one hit with no strikeouts or walks. Landen Harris entered the game for Kints in the sixth inning and threw two innings, allowing no runs on no hits with three strikeouts and no walks. Blake Weaver came in the game for Harris in the eighth inning and threw three innings, allowing no runs on two hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
The Cardinals got on the board first in the second game, with a fly ball from Gus Simon that was dropped by the Trolls' right fielder. Kozlowski scored on the play to put the Cardinals up 1-0 after the top of the second inning. In the bottom half of the second inning, the Trolls would tie the game on a single from Casey Folkerts that scored Wright. The Trolls would take the lead on an infield single by Brodie Mayberry that scored Mendoza to make it 2-1 going into the third inning.
The Trolls tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the third inning, starting with a Wright two RBI single that scored Shane Jones and Chaney. Mendoza scored two more runs for the Trolls on a two-run homerun that scored Benson Holloman to make it 6-1 going into the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Cardinals would answer back with a Wressel single that scored D. Hebner. Kozlowski followed that up with a single of his own that scored Burke to make it 6-3. Piotrowski would add another run on a sacrifice fly to left field that would score the courtesy runner, Clatyon McKinstry, to cut the Trolls lead to 6-4 going into the bottom of the fourth inning.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Cardinals scored a run on another solo homerun from Burke to make it a 6-5 game. Simon tied the game on a double to left field that scored Wressel to make it 6-6 going into the bottom of the seventh inning.
This game would need extra innings, and in the tenth inning, Burke would break the tie with a two-run double that scored Kuhlman and McKinstry to make it 8-6, which would be the final score.
The Cardinals will resume their conference play at home against the Cleary Cougars on Saturday, April 5th. The first pitch from the Cardinal Baseball Field will be at 1 PM.
