February 25, 2017- After a good nights sleep the Concordia-Chicago Cougar baseball team would take to Tornado field once again, looking to avenge their opening night loss to Concordia-Texas. CUC would put a runner on in every inning, building a 4-3 lead, but they would strand 10, leaving just enough room for the Tornados to come back and steal game two of the season 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Cougars struck first for the second straight game in the top of the second. Brady Roberts walked with one out. Another out later, Roberts was off on the pitch. The Tornados' left handed pitcher Valadez got caught between throwing home and to first, plunking Matthews to put two on. Brendan Klein delivered the big two RBI double to right field, sliding into second just before the tag.
 
CUTX answered back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. An infield single got things started with one out. A single to right put two aboard, and a double to left center brought the tying runs home. The Tornados weren't done there though, a second infield single in the inning put runners on the corners for the starting pitcher Valadez who helped himself out with a sac fly to right plating the go-ahead run.
 
The see-saw battle continued as the Cougars tied it up in the top of the fourth. After the first two batters were retired quickly, Doug Matthews fought hard to draw a full count walk. Klein then followed with a single back up the middle that forced a CUTX pitching change. Bryan VanDuser greeted the new pitcher by flaring a two strike pitch just inside the right field line to tie the game at three. CUC nearly took the lead in the next at bat, but a nice backhanded catch by the third basemen ended the Cougar threat.
 
After the third starting pitcher Adam Schmitt settled in allowing just two hits over the next three innings. He would pitch six innings allowing just the three third inning runs while scattering six hits.
 
CUC was able to retake the lead in the top of the fifth. Aaron Wicker led off with a single. Brent Spohrfollowed with a single to right, where Wicker alertly went first to third on the play. That would set up Mitch Wilson for a sac fly to center field that easily plated Wicker to make it 4-3 Cougars.
 
The Cougars would have opportunities to plate much needed insurance runs over the next four innings with a runner reaching base each inning. They wouldn't be able to however, leaving the door open for CUTX in the ninth. The leadoff man would reach for the Tornados to begin the inning. A nice play by Wilson cut off the lead runner but the Cougars would be unable to turn the double play. A single up the middle allowed the runner from first to race around to third putting the winning run on first. A suicide squeeze plated the tying run while the winning run advanced to second with two outs. A passed ball moved the runner up 90 feet to third, and a single to left field brought the exuberant Tornados onto the field walking off on CUC 5-4.
 
The Cougars finished with eight hits on the afternoon. Matthews would score twice for CUC, while Klein drove home two runs. CUC had a runner reach in every inning, but would strand 10 total runners on for the game.
 
The Cougars look to get back on track when they take on Southwestern later this afternoon from Austin.