VERONA, Wis. – Behind a strong pitching performance from sophomore Adam Eck, the Edgewood College baseball team snapped a 10-game losing streak to Concordia University Chicago in the nightcap of Tuesday's doubleheader at Stampfl Field. Eck struck out a career-high 11 batters and earned his first collegiate victory 6-4 over the Cougars. Edgewood College lost the opener 3-2 in 10 innings.
Edgewood College (8-13, 4-4 NACC) never trailed in the second game, although CUC came back to tie the game on two separate occasions. The Eagles opened the bottom of the second inning with three straight singles, the third of which from Brodie Engel scored Jeff Tucker from third base. Danny Appino added an RBI ground out later in the inning for a 2-0 lead.
Concordia University Chicago (16-7, 6-2 NACC) gained one run back in the third and an unearned run in the top of the sixth to tie the game, but Tucker singled home Nick Lehner who had reached on a double to put Edgewood College back in front 3-2 in the bottom of the inning.
The Cougars matched the Eagles again by the seventh inning stretch. But the Eagles would take command in the bottom of the seventh inning, thanks to Lehner. With Steve Gavin on third and Tim Nunn aboard at first, Lehner smashed a deep drive into the right-center field gap for a two-out, two-run triple. Then with Garrett Bogucki at the plate, Lehner scored on a wild pitch from the Cougars reliever Ryan Tishka to make the score 6-3 in favor of the Eagles.
That would be enough for Eck. The sophomore from St. Charles, Ill. struck out four of the first seven hitters he faced and six total in the first three innings. He left the game with two runners on and two outs in the top of the eighth after his 11th strikeout. He threw 125 pitches and allowed just two earned runs and one walk. Erick Wendt came on to close the door on a Cougar rally by getting Bryan VanDuser to ground out to end the inning. In the ninth, Steve Gavin moved from second base to the mound to record his second save in as many days.
Lehner had the biggest day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and two runs batted in. Tucker also had two hits and a stolen base.
The win in the second game took some of the sting out of the opener, where Edgewood College missed an opportunity for a sweep of the league leading Cougars. The Eagles loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning, but came away with just one run. Edgewood College took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Bogucki walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
Concordia University Chicago tied the game in the eighth on an Andrew Massey sacrifice fly. In the top of the 10th, the Cougars' Keegan Tyrell who had come on as a defensive replacement, hit a leadoff home run down the left field line for a 3-2 Cougars' lead. Edgewood College would load the bases with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning, but couldn't push the tying run across.
Edgewood College starting pitcher Blake Bieri was strong in 7.2 innings of work. He allowed just three hits and one earned run, while striking out two batters. Bridger Berrett retired all four batters he faced, while AJ Verhage pitched the 10th and suffered his first loss of the season. Appino, Tucker and Casey Seelow had all of the Eagles three hits in the game.
Edgewood College will step out of NACC play on Thursday for a rescheduled single game at UW-Platteville. That game starts at 3:30 p.m. at Kendall Murray Field.
