(Ann Arbor, MI) Concordia Baseball hosted Indiana Tech for a pivotal WHAC doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The two teams came into the matchup tied for second in the conference with identical records in WHAC play, and the Cardinals swept the Warriors in dramatic fashion, with a pair of walk off wins. Drew Fleming had four homeruns on the day, the Cardinals hit back-to-back-to-back homers, and Justin Kozlowski and Logan Hylek knocked the walk off hits to secure the series sweep.
Game 1: Concordia 8 – Indiana Tech 7
Blake Weaver made the start for the Cardinals and gave up one run through two innings of work. The Warriors went up 1-0 in the top of the first, but Josh Burke answered with a solo showt in the ensuing bottom half of the inning. Kyle Winslow came in to relieve Weaver and secured four outs, before Kenneth (Dave) Rozmys closed out the remaining 3.2 innings. Rozmys struck out six on the day while giving up just one earned run and earning the win.
Concordia took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third when Aaron West scored on a wild pitch. That was immediately followed by Drew Fleming's first homer of the day to double the lead. Justin Kozlowski scored Tyler Wressel with an RBI single to increase the lead to three.
Indiana Tech responded back in the next half inning with four runs to take the lead, but it did not last long. In the bottom of the fourth, Drew Fleming knocked his second homerun of the day, driving in two runs and reclaiming the Cardinal lead.
The Warriors fought back and tied the game in the fifth, and took a one run lead in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, the Cardinals got runners on by way of a Drew Fleming single and Tyler Wressel got on after a fielding error by the Warrior shortstop. Wressel stole second with Justin Kozlowski at the plate as the last hope for the Cardinals with two outs. Kozlowski hit a ball sharply up the middle into the outfield, scoring both runs, and walking the game off for Concordia, 8-7.
Game 2: Concordia 11 – Indiana Tech 10
Both teams started hot at the plate in game two. Neither starting pitcher made it through the second inning, forcing both teams to dip into their bullpen early. Bryon Mane was touched up for five runs in his start, while Indiana Tech's Coley Stevens allowed seven runs in his start.
Much like game one, the Warriors took the lead in the top of the first, this time with a three-run shot. Drew Fleming tied it back up in the bottom half of the inning with his own three run homer, his third long ball of the day.
Indiana Tech did not relent, as they knocked out a two-run home run in the top of the second, but the Cardinals once again did not let that last for long. In the bottom of the second, the top of Concordia's lineup hit back-to-back-to-back homers with Aaron West, Josh Burke, and Drew Fleming all going deep, to give Concordia the 7-5 lead.
Trey Acker for the Cardinals and Kade Robinson for the Warriors followed their respective starters on the hill, both providing a more stabilizing performance and limiting the scoring in the middle innings. That being said, both offenses still found a way to plate runs. A Warrior homerun in the top of the fifth tied the game up at 7 each. Tyler Wressel took a pitch deep in the bottom of the inning to reclaim the Cardinal lead. In the seventh and eighth innings, the Warriors scored a trio of runs against Acker and Evan Jaisak to take a two-run lead into the ninth. Logan Fleming came in to record four outs for the Cardinals and keep the deficit at two.
Concordia rallied in the bottom of the ninth inning and tied the game up with the pinch-hitting Kyle Hebner driving in a pair with a single through the left side. The Cards were unable to complete the comeback in the ninth, as Indiana Tech induced an inning ending double play to send the game into extras.
Drew Fleming was called upon to relieve his cousin Logan Fleming on the hill in the top of the tenth and pitch his way out of a jam. The first out came by way of a bunted infield fly to Tyler Wressel. The Cardinals then intentionally walked the bases full with one out in hopes of getting a double play. The next at bat Jake Kuhlman, Taishin Matsushita, and Derek Hebner combined defensively to turn the inning ending double play.
In the bottom of the tenth inning Josh Burke singled and then Drew Fleming was hit by a pitch. That set the plate for the Cardinal cleanup hitter Logan Hylek. The junior punched a ball past the shortstop to score Burke and empty the Cardinal dugout as they celebrated their second walk off win of the day.
Next up for the Diamond Cards will be a non-conference doubleheader against Grace Christian on Tuesday, April 16th. Concordia will celebrate Senior Day after the games, with first pitch set for 2:00 PM in Ann Arbor.
