April 29, 2018 - A bright, sunny spring day nearly became "Black Sunday" for the Concordia-Chicago baseball team before they pulled off an exciting comeback in game two of their doubleheader against the Rockford University Regents. The CUC bats were quieted in game one in a 5-2 loss, and they were trailing 6-1 before scoring six unanswered runs in the back half of the nightcap to nip the visitors 7-6 and salvage the doubleheader on Senior Day in River Forest.

For one senior, it was a special day with a little extra. Joe Silva went 8-8 over both ends of the doubleheader, and he moved into second place on the all-time CUC hits list with 228, one ahead of teammate Mitch Wilson. The two of them are chasing down Jack Walker and his career 235 hits. Ironically, the three of them will be in one place this Friday, as Walker is an assistant coach with that day's opponent, Benedictine University.

In game one, the Regents took the early lead and enjoyed the upper hand for the duration of the game. With two on in the second, Michael Tosado doubled off CUC starter Cody Caballero for a run. Kyle Waugh then drove home the second run with a grounder to short, but the Cougars averted further damage by turning an unusual double play, catching Tosado at third base.  The Cougars then got one back in the bottom of the inning, Brady Roberts was on second when Connor Brandon beat out an infield hit. When the second baseman threw in a futile attempt to catch Brandon, his throw went past the first baseman and into no-man's land, allowing Roberts to race home.

The Cougars then evened the score in the third as Kevin Coppin and Silva connected on back-to-back doubles. For Silva, it would be the first of five extra-base hits in the day. Unfortunately, that would be all for the CUC offense in game one. They would strand five runners over the final six innings. Meanwhile, Rockford scored the go-ahead run in the fourth on a fielder's choice grounder where Concordia-Chicago just missed turning the double play. The Regents added two in the seventh on an Austin Smith double and a wild pitch.

Rockford appeared to have a great deal of momentum heading into game two, and a CUC Loss would tighten things up greatly at the top of the conference standings. Early on, it appeared that this is where things were headed, as Rockford caught a break in the top of the first with a pop fly that was lost in the sun as two runs scored.  As in game one, the Cougars immediately got one back as Silva tripled and scored on a Regents' error.

The Regents kept up the pressure, and Smith got hold oof a high fastball in the third and tomahawked it over the fence in left for a three-run blast. Rockford added one in the fourth, and it looked as if the Cougars' Senior Day festivities were about to be severely dampened.

The home team's comeback began in the fifth as Coppin walked and scored when Silva went opposite field to the left field corner for his second triple. Silva remained at third as Andrew Massey saw his pop-up lost in the sun by the RU third baseman. Keegan Tyrell was next, and he laced a double to the right-center gap, scoring Silva. Massey scored later in the inning on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Garcia, and the Cougars were back in the game at 6-4. 

The game-tying rally came in the seventh, and it was fitting that it started with Silva. His third triple went to the gap in right-center, and he scored on Massey's sacrifice fly. Tyrell then hit a ground ball which got past the shortstop, and he hustled into second base. The Regents went to their bullpen for closer Christian Dahlstrom, but Justin Rodriguez foiled that strategy by smashing the first pitch up the middle for the equalizing bse hit.

The momentum had palpably changed as the hunters were now the hunted, and the Cougars finished it off with the winning run in the eighth. Brandon chopped the first pitch into left field for the lead-off hit and was sacrificed to second by Aaron Wicker. Brandon then stole third, and the payoff came when Jose Mercado's pop to short right fell in between the converging second baseman and right fielder. Brandon scored as the Cougars finally had their first lead of the day.

There was no doubt who would pitch the ninth inning, and Mike Formella was on the mound to face the 2-3-4 hitters in Rockford's order. The Cougars' closer was not intimidated in the least as he caught Brett Down looking at a third strike and then set down Bryce Hinkelman swinging. Smith was the Regents' last hope, and he hit a high-hopper up the middle. Formella jumped to tip the ball and was able to track it down in time to throw to first for the final out.Formella's save was his 12th of the season, putting him within one of tying the all-time season record for saves (Steve Cox, 2013). Formella saved the game for Alex Meyers, who improved to 6-1 on the season and now leads this year's team in victories.

Concordia-Chicago (27-9, 14-4