(Ann Arbor, MI) The Cardinals entered Sunday riding an 18-game win streak and looked to continue their dominance in conference play as they took on Defiance. The Cardinals picked up another pair of wins to improve to 31-5 on the season, and 14-2 in conference play.
Game 1: Concordia 11, Defiance 1
Bryon Mane got the start on the mound for the Cardinals in the first of two games against the Defiance Yellow Jackets. The Yellow Jackets threatened in the first inning as they had the bases loaded, but Mane worked out the jam and picked up 3 first-inning strikeouts.
In the bottom half of the first inning the Cardinals scored four runs, starting with a Derek Hebner RBI single that scored Matthew Dubrick. With Jake Kuhlman and Derek Hebner aboard, Josh Burke smashed his 11th home run of the season giving the Cardinals an early 4-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Cardinals tallied two more runs thanks to a couple of homeruns. First it was Jake Kuhlman smacking his 5th homerun of the season, followed later by another Josh Burke homerun.
In the third inning, Drew Murphy came into the game in relief, where he finished the game for the Cardinals after 5 innings, just giving up 3 hits and one run, while picking up 7 strikeouts.
The Cardinal offense was held quiet until the 6th inning where they added five runs to their total. Alex Czyzewski started the scoring with an RBI single that scored Tyler Lawson, Derek Hebner then brought in Kuhlman and Czyzewski on a two-run double giving the Cardinals a 9-1 lead. Later in the inning Kolton Horn scored Derek Hebner on a single, and Garrett Williams brought in the final Cardinal run on an RBI single that brought Kyle Hebner home.
Game 2: Concordia 10, Defiance 0
Ethan Pollard got the start on the mound in the second game, as he set the tone for the Cardinals eventual combined shutout against the Yellow Jackets. Pollard went 4 innings, giving up two hits and one walk, while striking out four batters.
The Cardinals offense got off to a slow start but settled in through the middle innings of the game. The first Cardinal runs crossed the plate in the 3rd inning when Tyler Wressel hit a two-run single, which scored Jake Kuhlman and Josh Burke.
The Cardinal offense was seeing the ball well in the 4th inning as they tallied four runs. Matthew Dubrick brought in Tyler Lawson to get the scoring started, and a few moments later Dubrick crossed the plate courtesy of Derek Hebner. The Cardinals held a 4-0 lead before Josh Burke crushed another home run, this time a two-run shot that scored Jake Kuhlman. Burke gave the Cardinals a 6-0 lead after 4 innings, while picking up his 13th home run of the season, which is now T-3rd most home runs in a single season in Cardinal history.
The Cardinals picked up four more runs in the 5th inning when Justin Kozlowski snuck a ball right by the foul pole in left field. A few batters later, Clayton McKinstry brough in both Tyler Lawson and Gus Simon, before Alez Czyzewski brought in the 10th run for the Cardinals on a sac fly that scored Matthew Dubrick. With a 10-0 lead the Cardinals were in position to end the game with the conference run rule in effect.
Landon Harris, Ryan VanSlambrouck, Dylan Kintz, and Blake Weaver all contributed to the combined shutout. Harris and VanSlambrouck pitched one inning each as they both picked up 1 strikeout. Blake Weaver closed out the game for the Cardinals as he picked up a strikeout and secured the Senior Day sweep for the Cardinals, while ending the game in 7 innings.
The CUAA Baseball team took some time postgame to recognize 27 Seniors along with the underclassmen who decided to stay for another year. An emotion filled night following a record setting win was the perfect way for the Cardinals to end the weekend.
The Diamond Cards will hit the road next weekend as they travel to Aquinas for a double-header on Saturday, before heading down to Defiance for another Sunday series against the Yellow Jackets, as they look to extend their win streak and dominance in conference play.
