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Box Score 2 MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Lutheran College baseball team's NACC Tournament hopes were dimmed in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of rival Concordia Wisconsin Sunday afternoon at Neumann Family Fields. The Warriors (16-17, 7-11 NACC) suffered a heartbreaking 8-7 defeat in 14 innings in game one and fell 9-3 in game two.
WLC struck first in the opening game of the day, as Brett Youngbeck (Brown Deer, Wis./Brown Deer) clubbed a two-out RBI single to left in the first inning. The Falcons (18-14, 10-8 NACC) tied the game in the top of the second on a run-scoring base hit by Matt Schubert. WLC regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on a squeeze play by Matt Wick (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) that scored Zack Skog (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire). Skog delivered a run-scoring single in the third to stretch the Warriors lead to 3-1.
CUW took advantage of two Warriors errors to take the lead in the fifth. Brandon Seifert knocked a run-scoring single and Joel Sharon hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game. A pair of errors in the next two at-bats led to two unearned runs as the Falcons went ahead 5-3. The Warriors pulled a run back in the bottom of the inning on Youngbeck's groundout and then pulled in front in the sixth. Ryan Stancl (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) smacked an RBI single to center and another run came home on an error to give the Warriors a 6-5 edge.
The Falcons took the lead back following a disputed call in the eighth. Luke Scheuerlein was initially ruled out to lead off the inning following a close play at first base, but the call was overruled after an umpires' discussion to allow Scheuerlein to reach on an error. Scheuerlein came around to score the tying run on a single by Jacob Boudreaux, and Bryan Thomas drove in a run on a fielder's choice to give CUW a 7-6 lead.
The Warriors tied it in the ninth after a passed ball allowed pinch-runner Vince Collelo (Kronenwetter, Wis./D.C. Everest) to score. WLC tried to win it on Skog's flyout to right, but pinch-runner Evan Teske (Crete, Ill./Illinois Lutheran) was tagged out at home to send the game to extra innings. Schubert's RBI single supplied the go-ahead run for CUW in the 14th inning.
Alex Raver (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) (1-2) allowed three runs (one earned) in 8.0 innings of relief in the loss. Joey Hodkiewicz (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) started the contest and gave up five runs (three earned) in 6.0 innings. Stancl was 3-for-6 with an RBI and Skog was 3-for-6 with a run scored and an RBI. Aaron Roeseler (Watertown, Wis./Luther Preparatory) went 2-for-6 with three runs scored.
Tyler Gross (5-2) tossed 6.0 scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory for CUW. Seifert was 2-for-5 with two runs and an RBI while Schubert was 2-for-6 with two RBI and a run scored.
The Falcons took the early lead in game two on an RBI single by Sharon. In the second, Stancl smacked a run-scoring single and Jake Klemme (Plymouth, Wis./Plymouth) brought him home with a groundout to give WLC a brief 2-1 lead. CUW grabbed the lead for good in the top of the third, as Seifert provided an RBI hit and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2.
Beau Burgert helped the Falcons take control of the game, drilling a two-run double in the fifth and a two-run triple in the seventh. The Warriors final run came home on Wick's RBI double in the sixth.
Austin Baglow (3-2) held WLC to three unearned runs in 9.0 innings for the complete game victory. Burgert was 4-for-5 with four RBI and Scheuerlein went 3-for-5.
Josh Ruppel (Belgium, Wis./Cedar Grove-Belgium) (3-4) surrendered six runs in 6.0 frames for the loss. Brandon Mantz (West Bend, Wis./Kettle Moraine Lutheran) was 2-for-4 with a run scored for the Warriors.
Wisconsin Lutheran is one game out of the final spot in the NACC Tournament with one NACC doubleheader remaining, coming at home against Dominican Friday. First, the Warriors will travel to North Central (Ill.) (22-11) for a non-conference clash Wedensday at 3 p.m at Zimmerman Stadium. Links to live audio and stats will be provided on wlcsports.com.
