LOVES PARK, Ill. (May 11, 2007) – Edgewood College lost its opening contest in the 2007 Northern Athletics Conference Baseball Tournament, 3-2 to Concordia University Chicago, from RiverHawks Stadium on Friday. The Eagles avoided an early exit by rallying to an 11-2 decision over Marian College in the tournament’s first elimination game. Edgewood College now has a short night’s rest to prepare for a rematch with the Cougars of Concordia Chicago at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the right to play top-seed Rockford College in the Championship Round.
In the Eagles (26-12) first game Friday, Concordia Chicago (26-15-1) got things going early with a run in the top of the first inning and plated two more in the fourth on RBI singles by Scott Stephens and Bobby Truckenbrod to take a 3-0 lead.
Concordia Chicago starting pitcher Ryan Hantel carried his shutout all the way into the bottom of the seventh inning. With two outs in the frame, Karl Reynolds (Dodgeville, Wis.) dropped a single down the left field line to score two runs to get the Eagles back to within one, but the Cougars held their ground as Matt Smith earned his fifth save of the season. Ryan Siebert (Winthrop Harbor, Ill.), Jimy Landwehr (Hartland, Wis.), and Nate Meyer (Waterford, Wis.) scattered two hits apiece to lead the Eagles at the plate.
On the mound, Cody Flynn (Eureka, Calif.) finished with a complete game, but picked up the loss to fall to 8-4 on the season. A win would have made Flynn the winningest pitcher in Edgewood College history. Although the 6-foot-3, power right-hander didn’t reach the milestone Friday, he did become the school’s all-time leader in strikeouts. Flynn fanned seven batters Friday to give him 203 in his three-year career as an Eagle.
Edgewood College dominated its second game versus the Sabres, despite tying a season-high with seven errors. The Eagles jumped out to an early lead in its second game versus the Sabres (19-19) with four runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by an RBI single by Tyler Dahmen (Madison, Wis.) and a two-run single by Steve Binder (Downer’s Grove, Ill.).
Dahmen, the team’s lone senior, drove in three runs altogether including a two-RBI single in the seventh inning, in which the Eagles scored five runs to take a commanding 9-2 lead. Dahmen finished 2-for-5 at the plate, while Siebert was 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Nate Marlowe (South Milwaukee, Wis.) hurled a complete game to improve to 7-1 overall. The southpaw allowed two runs, both unearned.
If Edgewood College wins its rematch game with Concordia Chicago on Saturday morning, the Eagles must defeated Rockford College twice in order to be crowned champions of the inaugural NAC Baseball Tournament. Live statistics and live audio are available for every game of the double-elimination tournament by logging on to www.EdgewoodCollegeEagles.com
