March 9, 2017 - The Concordia-Chicago Cougars would not allow their momentum to be interrupted because of an off day yesterday, an early morning start or the warmest day thus far on their week-long Florida trip. Freshman Noah Dressler gave the team a solid effort in his first collegiate start, and the #25 Cougars held on for a 5-4 win over Montclair State University at Lake Myrtle Park in Auburndale, FL. The win was the sixth straight for CUC after two losses to start the season.

Dressler's control was with him from the start as he fanned to first two Red Hawk batters and got the third out on a comebacker. The Cougars then gifted him with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the inning as Bryan VanDuser led off with an infield single.

The Cougars rode the early momentum as Dressler struck out the first two batters in the second. The Red Hawks finally got a baserunner when Lampasona drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch, but Dressler retired the next batter on a foul pop to Spohr. Brady Roberts then led off the bottom of the inning, tagging one to left field to double the Cougars' advantage.

Montclair State managed their first hit in the third inning and put two men on base in both the third and fourth innings, but Dressler was able to get the third out on both occasions with no damage done. He then sailed through a 1-2-3 fifth inning, registering his sixth strikeout against just one walk to that point.

Concordia-Chicago looked to put some distance between themselves and their New Jersey opponent in the bottom of the fifth. Justin Rodriguezsingled and Doug Matthews drew a one-out walk. It was back to the top of the order as VanDuser grounded a single that split the second baseman and shortstop as Rodriguez raced home. After a liner to center for the second out, Joe Silva lined a single to right. Matthews scored easily, but VanDuser was caught rounding third too far and was tagged out for the third out. However, the Cougars now had a 4-0 lead.

The Red Hawks finally got to Dressler in the sixth, although the tally was unearned. Joe Foote led off with a walk and was at third with two out when Dom Lampasona's grounder to second was bobbled, the batter beating the throw to first as the run scored. The next hitter singled, bringing the tying run to the plate as CUC head coach Mike Stawski summoned Alex Meyers from the bullpen. On the first batter Meyers faced, second baseman Mitch Wilson atoned for his fielding error when he knocked down a chopper over Meyers' head. Wilson lunged for the bag and touched it with his hand just beating the runner sliding into second. That ended the rally at one run, and Dressler's final line read 5 2/3 innings, three hits, one unearned run, three walks and six strikeouts.

Despite being turned aside with just the one run in the sixth, the Red Hawks would keep on the offensive. They scored a run in the seventh on Foote's two-out double. Phillip Scott then hit a sharp single to left, but Silva's throw to the plate was on the money and in plenty of time to catch Foote trying to score.

Montclair State was at it again in the eighth as an error and a double put runners on third and second with no out. Stawski went back out to the mound, this time summoning his closer Brian Musielak. The junior right-hander struck out the first man he faced and then coaxed a grounder to short for the second out as one run scored. With the tying run now at third, Musielak left him there with a lazy fly ball to center.

Concordia-Chicago went back on the offensive in the bottom of the eighth. Brendan Klein led off with a base hit and was sacrificed to second by Silva. Klein moved up on a wild pitch, and Spohr drew a walk. Pinch-runner Kevin Garvey promptly stole second, forcing MSU to move the infield up. That was all that Wilson needed as he smashed a single past the drawn-in third baseman to score Klein.

Musielak was back out to the mound in the ninth, but the Red Hawks still were not ready to go quietly. Ryan Long led off with a single and was at third with one out when Foote's grounder to short was thrown to first, Long scoring to make it 5-4. Scott extended the inning with a base hit, but the rally got no further as Musielak got Joe Norton to fly to right for the final out as the Cougars celebrated their sixth straight win.

"I thought this was our best win of the six," said Stawski. "To beat a top-ranked team on Tuesday and then go through an off day and not play the best defense today, to be able to pull this one out shows a lot about where we're at right now."

The next challenge for CUC will be Mitchell College on Friday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. (EST).