BOX SCORE

Anthem, Ariz. – Collin Janssen went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks, but it wasn't enough, as the Concordia University Texas baseball team dropped a 17-4 decision to Linfield in the second game of the Arizona Desert Classic for both schools on Friday, Feb. 11 at Boulder Creek High School. The Wildcats, who are ranked eighth nationally, plated the first six runs of the game and never looked back.

Linfield (2-0) plated two runs in the top of the first inning and three in the second to take a quick 6-0 lead. Cole Bixenman put the Wildcats on the board with a single before the second run came home on the next play when Kyle Chamberlain grounded out to short. In the second, Danny Urness scored on a single by Jesse Boustead after stealing third. Eric Evenson then hit an RBI single two batters later to make it 4-0. Following a pitching change, an infield error with the bases loaded and two outs resulted in two more Linfield runs to close out the early scoring.

After Nick Kozole put Concordia on the board by hitting the Tornados' first home run of the season to lead off the third frame, the Wildcats went ahead by a 9-1 score by scoring three more times in the fourth. Zach Boskovich, Chamberlain and Kevin Coleman all had RBI singles in the inning.

Janssen factored into three Tornado runs at the end of the game by scoring in the seventh when Kyle Bieschke reached second base on an error and hitting a two-RBI single in the eighth. The early deficit, however, was too much for Concordia to overcome. Linfield added six more runs in the eighth and two in the ninth to produce the final outcome.

Chris Mueller, who was making his first career start for Linfield, picked up the win by allowing only three hits and one run to score which was earned in six innings of work. He struck out four Tornado hitters. Russell Johns was tagged with the loss after surrendering five hits and six runs, including four earned, in 1.2 innings.

Concordia (2-2) will continue play at the Arizona Desert Classic when it faces Whitman on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 11 a.m.

#8 Linfield (2-0)      240      300       062     17    17    1
Concordia (2-2)      001      000       120      4      7      4
     Linfield: Chris Mueller, Casey Cameron (7), Garett Speyer (9) and Kyle Chamberlain.
     Concordia: Russell Johns, Ryan Ullmann (2), Lance Thompson (8), Ryan Gaze (8) and Collin Janssen, David Hunt (9).