BOX SCORE

Austin, Texas – Brent Schaekel drove in three runs and delivered what would stand as the game-winning hit in leading the Concordia University Texas baseball team to an 8-7 win over Texas Lutheran on Thursday, Feb. 14 at Tornado Field in the opening game of the Rudy's BBQ Tornado Classic.

After Texas Lutheran scored first in the top of the second, Concordia responded by scoring three times in the bottom half of the same inning. Andrew Burns, who walked to start the frame, came home on a wild pitch to tie the game up before a sacrifice fly by Schaekel that plated Tyler Bain put the Tornados ahead. Casey Skalaban then doubled the lead by singling in Quinn Guest.

The two teams combined for seven runs in a wild third inning. The Bulldogs first scored four to take a 5-3 lead. Derek Kanas tied the game by blasting a two-run double and scored on a passed ball before Tyler Carollo scored on a groundout to short. The Tornados, however, came right back went ahead 6-5 on a single by Guest. Schaekel then made it 8-5 by belting a clutch single with two outs that allowed Guest and Hollier to score from second and third, respectively.

Texas Lutheran (6-1), which dropped a 15-inning marathon to Concordia at Tornado Field in the final game of the regular season last spring, did not give up and added one run in the seventh and eighth innings to pull within one. The Bulldogs then put the tying run at first with only one out, but reliever Austin Rupert got out of the jam by inducing a flyout and fanning Carollo to end the game.

Concordia's Scott Weinschenk picked up the victory by hurling allowing five runs, but only two earned, over six innings of work to improve to 1-2 overall. He recorded five strikeouts and yielded six hits. Rupert picked up the save by pitching scoreless innings of relief. Thomas Harwell was charged with the loss for Texas Lutheran and fell to 2-1 overall after surrendering five hits and six runs, including five earned, over two innings. He struck out one and walked three.

Concordia (1-6) hosts Sul Ross State at 10 a.m. tomorrow.
-agate-
Texas Lutheran (6-1)     014     000     110     7   10   2
Concordia (1-6)               033    020      00x     8   12   1
     Texas Lutheran: Thomas Harwell, Dwayne Snider (3), Matthew Chapa (5), Conner Capdau (6) and Ryan Hill.
     Concordia: Scott Weinschenk, Bobby Jones (7), Austin Rupert (8) and Tyler Bain.