RIVER FOREST, Ill. – After the weather forced the double header to be moved back three days, the No.1 Concordia Baseball team took to the field today at home against the Lakeland University Muskies. CUC played nearly flawless in every aspect, including batting for the team cycle in the fourth inning of game two. The Cougars swept Lakeland by scores of 14-2 and 19-2. With the two wins the winning streak now stands at 23 games.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- CUC scored 33 runs in the double header, with 14 different players recording hits.
- Connor Brandon led the way with five hits, two doubles, one triple and one homer while driving in seven.
- Gianfranco Sorrentino, Jacob Frank and Brayden Benavides all homered, bringing the team season total to 33.
- Kyle Strepek picked up the win in game one, working five innings, allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out three.
- Alex Crinigan got the game two start, working four innings and allowing two runs.
- Chris Woods picked up the game two win, working two innings of scoreless relief.
GAME ONE: W, 14-2
After the pitchers worked quickly through the first two innings, CUC got things going in the third. With two outs Bryan VanDuser walked and stole second. Brody Mariotti then singled through the left side to make it 1-0 CUC.
CUC made it 3-0 in the fourth. Back-to-back doubles by Keegan Tyrell and Mateo Calle plated a run. After a wild pitch put Calle at third a sac fly to right easily brought home a run.
Lakeland pulled back within one in the bottom half on a two run homer to left.
The Cougars answered back in the top of the fifth. The first three batters of the inning reached on free passes to begin the inning. Brandon followed with a double off the center field wall scoring two. A Lakeland error allowed another run to cross, extending the CUC lead to 6-2.
CUC added three more in the sixth. With one on VanDuser tripled to right field scoring a run. He was promptly bought home on a Mariotti single to center. With Mariotti on second Tyrell singled through the left side to make it 9-2 Cougars.
CUC added on five more in the seventh. Three straight singles opened the inning, plating a run. After a sac fly made it 11-2, a three run homer by Brandon to left made it 14-2 CUC.
Salvatore Biondo worked the final two innings on the hill for CUC, allowing just one hit while striking out one.
GAME TWO: W, 19-2
The Cougars carried the momentum of game one into game two. Jose Mercado opened the game with a single to center. After a walk and a passed ball put runners at second and third, VanDuser doubled to center scoring two.
Lakeland answered with a single run on three hit in the bottom half to make it 2-1. The two pitchers settled in until the fourth.
CUC had their biggest inning of the year in the top of the fourth where they plated 11 runs on nine hits. Mariotti and Brandon opened the inning with doubles to left center to plate the first run. After Tyrell was hit by a pitch, two singles and a walk followed to plate two more runs. A sac fly by Mercado made it 6-1 CUC. Benavides then followed with his second homer of the year to left field, the three run shot made it 9-1. Following the homer VanDuser doubled and Brandon tripled to make it 10-1. A Tyrell single to center followed and pushed another run across. With runners on second and third and two out Abelardo Paz Agudelo doubled down the left field line to push the lead to 13-1.
After Lakeland got a single run back in the bottom half, CUC added on three more in the fifth. With one out and one on Sorrentino hit a deep two run shot over the left center field wall to make it 15-2. The Cougars added one more on an Adam Lackey double down the left field line, scoring Matthew Uba who reached on an error.
CUC put the finished their scoring outburst for the day in the sixth. With two on and two out Jacob Frank launched a deep shot onto Division Street for a three run homer to make it 19-2 Cougars.
Woods and Anthony Rogers worked the final three innings to close out the sweep for CUC.
The Cougars will be back in action tomorrow afternoon. They will host UW-Lacrosse in non-conference action starting at 12:00pm.