MEQUON, Wis. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College came away with its first sweep of Concordia Wisconsin in 23 years, as the Warriors took both games of a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader from the Falcons on Tuesday by scores of 8-4 and 3-2 at Kapco Park.
GAME 1
The Warriors strung together four first-inning singles, including back-to-back run-scoring hits from senior
Nolan Hodgins (Caledonia, Wis.) and sophomore
Ian Rintelman (Muskego, Wis.) for an early 2-0 advantage. The Falcons plated three runs in the third on a RBI single, sacrifice fly, and throwing error to jump in front for the only time on the afternoon.
WLC got those three runs back in the bottom of the frame, as Hodgins doubled home sophomore
Aiden Montgomery (St. Louis, Mo.), senior
Noah Zaccanti (Geneva, Wis.) drove in Hodgins with a RBI single, and junior
Lucas Oswald's (Muskego, Wis.) sacrifice fly scored Rintelman. CUW came within a run in the fourth with a two-out RBI single.
The score remained 5-4 until the bottom of the sixth when Wisconsin Lutheran plated a pair of unearned runs. Freshman
Colin Nigl (Neenah, Wis.) scored on a throwing error by the pitcher and senior
Elijah Shevey (Muskego, Wis.) crossed home on a passed ball. The Warriors' eighth run came in the last of the eighth when Montgomery tagged from third on a foul ball that left home plate uncovered.
Freshman
Ryan Pierquet (Chilton, Wis.) went 3-for-4 with a run scored for WLC. Montgomery, Hodgins, and Nigl added two hits each. Junior
Storm Portsche (Lincoln, Neb.) picked up his first win of the season after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. Senior
Tyler Danko (Milwaukee, Wis.) notched his first career save after pitching the final 3.0 innings and striking out four without allowing a hit.
Graham Kasten went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored for Concordia Wisconsin.
GAME 2
Freshman
Jacob Lorbecki's (Richfield, Wis.) two-out RBI single in the second inning put Wisconsin Lutheran in front 1-0 early in the nightcap.
Shevey, the Warriors starting pitcher, kept the Falcons offense at bay through the first six innings, striking out 11 while scattering five hits.
CUW evened the contest in the seventh with an unearned run following a sacrifice fly. WLC responded with two huge runs in the eighth. Hodgins' double off the left-center field wall scored sophomore
Colt Ratliff (Oxford, Ga.) and Zaccanti's two-out single sent home Hodgins following a misplay by the right fielder for a 3-2 lead. Concordia Wisconsin loaded the bases with just one out in the top of the ninth, but Nigl limited the damage to just a run by inducing an infield fly and strikeout to end the game.
Hodgins and Lorbecki led Wisconsin Lutheran with two hits apiece. Five other players tallied one hit each. Shevey tied a career high with 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings pitched. He scattered seven hits and didn't allow an earned run or a walk for a no-decision. Nigl collected his first win of the year after pitching the final 2.0 innings.
Kyle Flynn and Connor Lasch each had two hits and a RBI for the Falcons (12-9, 4-4 NACC).
The Warriors (8-11, 5-3 NACC) travel to Watertown on Thursday for a 3 p.m. non-conference doubleheader against Maranatha Baptist (3-11). Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.
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