(Grand Rapids, MI) Concordia Baseball traveled to Grand Rapids for day one of the WHAC Tournament on Wednesday afternoon. The Cardinals were the #2 seed and hosted the #7 seed Cleary Cougars at Cornerstone University. CUAA came out on top in run rule fashion after a big third inning to win 11-0.

Trey Acker started on the mound for the Cardinals and dominated like he has all season long. The All-Conference performer went four innings without allowing a run while striking out two. Ryan VanSlambrouck came on for the final three innings and picked up where Acker left off to close the game out after seven innings.

Both teams got off to a slow start, but that all changed for CUAA in the bottom of the third inning. Alex Piotrowski and Harrison Ryan got things started with singles in the inning. Justin Kozlowski then singled to score Piotrowski to break the scoreless tie. The next batter Jake Kuhlman then hit Harrison Ryan home on an RBI groundout. With two outs, the Cardinal bats refused to stop there. A Derek Hebner double would score Kozlowski before Gus Simon then singled to score Derek Hebner. An error by the Cougar defense off the bat off Logan Hylek would then allow Josh Burke to score. A three run home run from Alex Piotrowski would cap off the third inning heroics to score himself, Hylek, and Clayton McKinstry.

The Cardinals would score again in the fifth inning when Piotrowski hit a single to score Gus Simon. Pinch hitter Kyle Hebner was able to put a ball in play that would then score Logan Hylek. In the sixth inning, Derek Hebner launched a solo home run to make the score 11-0. VanSlambrouck would retire the Cougars in order in the top of the seventh to give CUAA a win in the first round of the WHAC Tournament!