GAME TWO BOX SCORE

GAME THREE BOX SCORE

POSTGAME INTERVIEW WITH MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER KYLE BIESCHKE

Austin, Texas – After an attempted rally fell short last night, the Concordia University Texas baseball team rebounded and registered two consecutive victories by scores of 3-1 in 10 innings and 9-4 to win an American Southwest Conference Championship Series against Louisiana College for the second straight year on Saturday, Apr. 28 at Tornado Field. Led by Most Outstanding Player Kyle Bieschke, who drove in five runs in the two victories, the Tornados advanced to the double-elimination championship round of the ASC Tournament and will also host the event next weekend as the West Division's top remaining seed.

The Tornados got on the board first in the top of the fourth of the pitching duel when Colton Gommert outhustled Dustin Fulks to the first base bag to allow Collin Janssen to score from third. Louisiana College, however, was able to get the equalizer to force extras on a bases-loaded walk issued to Jordan Marks.

Despite stranding two runners in scoring position in the ninth, Concordia was able to get the runs it needed to extend the series to three games in the top of the 10th. Matt McManemin drew a leadoff walk before Kyle Rodriguez was hit by a pitch to place runners on first and second with nobody out.

Two batters later, Bieschke belted a single to right that scored McManemin. Gommert then hit a sacrifice bunt that slowly dribbled down the first base line, scoring Rodriguez. Russell Johns followed up by pitching his second scoreless frame to keep the series alive.

Johns picked up his second extra-inning victory in as many outings to improve his ledger to 3-0 this season for Concordia. He struck out two and did not allow a hit or issue a walk over two frames. Louisiana College's Madison Lachney was tagged with the loss and dropped to 1-2 after yielding two runs, which were both earned, and one hit in one inning of work.

Louisiana College (15-24) took control early in the third and decisive game, scoring twice in the top of the first. Matt Scott hit a sacrifice fly to right that plated Marks, who doubled earlier in the inning, and Mike Doughty doubled the Wildcat lead with an RBI single to right.

But Concordia came back and was able to tie the game at 2-all before the fifth inning. A Brent Schaekel single that barely blooped fair down the line in left plated Stephen Kaminski to slice the deficit in half in the third. Janssen then led off the fourth inning with a double to the deepest part of the park, was sacrificed over to third by Gommert and scored on a Bieschke groundout to second.

The Tornados took their first lead in the fifth inning by scoring five times in the frame. Kaminski belted a leadoff double to left before Schaekel and Quinn Guest hit consecutive RBI singles. A bases-clearing double by Bieschke to deep right center directly after a pitching change gave the hosts a five-run cushion and all the insurance they needed.

Austin Rupert earned the victory for Concordia and improved his record to 6-1 after throwing five scoreless frames in which he gave up only three hits. Butschek, who started the game for the Tornados, remained undefeated over 13 consecutive starts dating back to last season. Louisiana College's Greg Uzee fell to 1-5 by taking the loss. He allowed eight hits and seven runs, which were all earned, in 4.1 innings of work.

Concordia (33-9) will host next weekend's double-elimination championship event next weekend from May 4-6 with all times to be determined. The Tornados will be joined by McMurry, Mississippi College and Texas-Tyler.

Notes: Concordia will be hosting the American Southwest Conference Championship Round for the second time ever and first time since 2002 next weekend … This is also the second straight year the Tornados have advanced to the double-elimination championship event, which involved coming back from one game down to beat Louisiana College in a best-of-three series in Austin both times … Senior Kyle Bieschke was named the Most Outstanding Player after driving in five runs, including four in the decisive third game, over the two Concordia victories.
-agate-
#10 Concordia                          000     100     000     2     3     8     2
Louisiana College                   000     000     010     0     1     4     2
     Concordia: Tyler Grygar, Jacob Spelbring (8), Russell Johns (9) and Collin Janssen.
     Louisiana College: Dustin Fulks, Kory Kottenbrook (9), Madison Lachney (10) and Taylor Beavers.

Louisiana College (15-24)     200     000     002     4    14    2
#10 Concordia (33-9)              001     150     02x      9    14    0
     Louisiana College: Greg Uzee, Kory Kottenbrook (5), Ron Anders (8) and Taylor Beavers.
     Concordia: Colin Butschek, Austin Rupert (3), Ryan Ullmann (8) and Collin Janssen.