AUBURNDALE, Fla. --- Opening up the 2022 Florida trip strong, the Concordia University Chicago baseball team rode a strong group pitching performance to a 2-1 victory over the Cornell College Rams on Saturday afternoon. Colton Wallace provided the big blast for CUC with a solo homer off the scoreboard in left in the bottom of the eighth.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE

-         Howie Hatton was 2-2 and walked once.

-         Caleb Anderson and Wallace both had multi-hit games.

-         Jack Rector threw four scoreless innings, striking out five.

-         The CUC bullpen of Chris Villafuerte, Vince Sartori, and Mike Tobin allowed just two hits and one unearned run while striking out six.

CUC starter Rector worked in and out of trouble in the first. After the first two batters reached, Rector got a 6-4-3 double-play ball and a strikeout to escape trouble. The Cougars had their first scoring opportunity of the day in the second. Back-to-back singles by Wallace and Anderson put two on, but a strikeout got Cornell out of the inning.

CUC had another golden scoring chance turned away in the third when they loaded the bases with no outs, but a strikeout and double play ball got the Rams out of trouble.

The pitchers continued to own the day until the bottom of the sixth when CUC plated the game's first run. Brody Mariotti led off the inning with a sharp single through the left side. A Cornell error in right field then put two on with no outs. After a double play left a runner on third with two outs, a second Cornell error allowed Kevin Garcia to come in and score.

Villafuerte worked three near-flawless innings in relief of Rector, sitting Cornell down in order in the seventh. The Rams finally pulled even in the top of the eighth. A CUC error started the inning, putting the leadoff man on. Cornell then was able to draw a walk and used a fielder's choice to put the tying run at third. A seeing-eye single through the right side by the Rams then tied the game at one.

CUC answered back with one big swing of the bat in the bottom of the eighth. With one out Wallace lifted a 3-1 pitch over the wall and off the scoreboard in left field to give CUC a 2-1 lead. Tobin then came in and worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to shut the door on Cornell and earn his first save of the season.

 Concordia will be back in action tomorrow afternoon against Penn State Albington. Opening pitch is set for 1:30 pm (EST) from Davenport, Fla. Links to coverage can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.