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Concordia Chicago Edges Carthage in Ninth, Heads into Tournament on High Note
May 07, 2008
Press Release posted by Concordia (Ill.) Permalink
The third time figured to be the charm for the Concordia Cougars. After having lost one-run games earlier in the season to Augustana College and Illinois Wesleyan University, both regionally-ranked teams from the CCIW, the Cougars turned the tables on a third team from that conference, seventh-ranked Carthage College. Zach Bickel’s ninth-inning single drove home the winning run as Concordia defeated Carthage 6-5 at the Benedictine University Sports Complex in Lisle, Illinois on Tuesday evening.
The Redmen scored a run in the first off of Cougar starter Matt Kudlik, but Concordia retaliated with three runs in their half of the inning. Joe Giorango led off by reaching on the first of five Carthage errors on the night. He would score on Bickel’s double to left and then score the go-ahead run when J.D. Rotzoll followed with a double to the gap in right-center. Rotzoll would move up on a single by Jack Walker and score the third run on a sacrifice fly by Phil Seris.
Carthage got one run back in the second, but Kudlik would finish his three-inning stint in fine fashion by retiring the second, third and fourth-place hitters on called strikes in the third. The Cougars then scored a run in the bottom of the third as Seris singled home Rotzoll who had reached on a lead-off single and moved into scoring position on an errant pick-off throw.
Southpaw Joe Leyhane worked the middle three innings for the Cougars and held the visitors in check, striking out four and getting out of a sixth inning jam by starting a 1-6-3 double play. Meanwhile, the Cougars had increased their lead to 5-2 on Seris’ third RBI of the night, a single between third and short that scored Rotzoll.
Carl Petersen came on in the seventh inning and retired Carthage in that frame, but the Redmen cut the lead to 5-3 in the eighth on a two-out double by Mike McGuire.
Petersen retired the first batter in the ninth but then hit Boe Baitinger on a 1-2 pitch. Tony Rdzok followed with a sharply hit ball that looked to be a possible double play, but the ball got by second baseman Wade Arthur to put runners on first and third. Petersen then plunked Jason Acevado on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases. Concordia head coach Spiro Lempesis summoned Ryan Hantel from the bullpen, and clean-up hitter Mike Hughes greeted Hantel with a single to center that scored Baitinger and Rdzok to tie the game. However, Hantel escaped further trouble by getting the next two outs on a force at second and a strikeout to send the game into the bottom of the ninth.
Scott Stephens led off the Cougar ninth by reaching on an errant throw by the shortstop. Bobby Truckenbrod, who had just entered the game in the top half of the inning, followed with a perfect bunt between the mound and third base to put two runners on base. With Bickel at bat, the Cougars attempted a double steal, but Hughes’ throw to third was perfect to retire Stephens for the first out. However, Truckenbrod moved up to second base on the play and scored moments later when Bickel’s smash in the hole ticked off the shortstop’s glove as he made a diving attempt. The ball rolled toward the leftfield line, too late for the outfielder to retrieve it and make a play at the plate.
“This was a quality win for us against a quality program,” said an elated Coach Lempesis, moments after the game had ended. “This is the kind of win that we hope will start us on a successful run that will carry into the weekend.”
Concordia (29-11) will compete in the Northern Athletics Conference tournament this weekend at Road Ranger Stadium in Rockford, Illinois. The fourth-seeded Cougars will take on top-seed Benedictine University on Friday morning at 9 a.m. A link to the tournament web page can be found on www.CUChicago.edu/athletics.
The Redmen scored a run in the first off of Cougar starter Matt Kudlik, but Concordia retaliated with three runs in their half of the inning. Joe Giorango led off by reaching on the first of five Carthage errors on the night. He would score on Bickel’s double to left and then score the go-ahead run when J.D. Rotzoll followed with a double to the gap in right-center. Rotzoll would move up on a single by Jack Walker and score the third run on a sacrifice fly by Phil Seris.
Carthage got one run back in the second, but Kudlik would finish his three-inning stint in fine fashion by retiring the second, third and fourth-place hitters on called strikes in the third. The Cougars then scored a run in the bottom of the third as Seris singled home Rotzoll who had reached on a lead-off single and moved into scoring position on an errant pick-off throw.
Southpaw Joe Leyhane worked the middle three innings for the Cougars and held the visitors in check, striking out four and getting out of a sixth inning jam by starting a 1-6-3 double play. Meanwhile, the Cougars had increased their lead to 5-2 on Seris’ third RBI of the night, a single between third and short that scored Rotzoll.
Carl Petersen came on in the seventh inning and retired Carthage in that frame, but the Redmen cut the lead to 5-3 in the eighth on a two-out double by Mike McGuire.
Petersen retired the first batter in the ninth but then hit Boe Baitinger on a 1-2 pitch. Tony Rdzok followed with a sharply hit ball that looked to be a possible double play, but the ball got by second baseman Wade Arthur to put runners on first and third. Petersen then plunked Jason Acevado on a 2-2 pitch to load the bases. Concordia head coach Spiro Lempesis summoned Ryan Hantel from the bullpen, and clean-up hitter Mike Hughes greeted Hantel with a single to center that scored Baitinger and Rdzok to tie the game. However, Hantel escaped further trouble by getting the next two outs on a force at second and a strikeout to send the game into the bottom of the ninth.
Scott Stephens led off the Cougar ninth by reaching on an errant throw by the shortstop. Bobby Truckenbrod, who had just entered the game in the top half of the inning, followed with a perfect bunt between the mound and third base to put two runners on base. With Bickel at bat, the Cougars attempted a double steal, but Hughes’ throw to third was perfect to retire Stephens for the first out. However, Truckenbrod moved up to second base on the play and scored moments later when Bickel’s smash in the hole ticked off the shortstop’s glove as he made a diving attempt. The ball rolled toward the leftfield line, too late for the outfielder to retrieve it and make a play at the plate.
“This was a quality win for us against a quality program,” said an elated Coach Lempesis, moments after the game had ended. “This is the kind of win that we hope will start us on a successful run that will carry into the weekend.”
Concordia (29-11) will compete in the Northern Athletics Conference tournament this weekend at Road Ranger Stadium in Rockford, Illinois. The fourth-seeded Cougars will take on top-seed Benedictine University on Friday morning at 9 a.m. A link to the tournament web page can be found on www.CUChicago.edu/athletics.