Concordia University-Chicago (Ill.) 6, Ripon College (Wis.) 5La Crosse, Wis. - Concordia University-Chicago (Ill.) stayed alive at the NCAA Division III Baseball Midwest Regional at Copeland Park with a 6-5 victory over Ripon College (Wis.) Friday afternoon. The Cougars improve to 32-14 on the season and will play Saturday at noon against the winner of the UW-Whitewater/Washington University (Mo.) game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Friday. Ripon (Wis.) ends its season at 24-16.
Ripon (Wis.) loaded the bases in the bottom of the first with three singles and when Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) starter Mike Formella walked Nake Siudak, Dakotah Kirchenwitz scored to make it 1-0. After a strikeout, Formella hit Nick Uhen with a pitch to bring in Nick Kita and the Red Hawks led 2-0 after one inning.
Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) got on the board in the top of the third. Mitch Wilson doubled down the right field line scoring Jeff Von Moser and Steve Zubrzycki to tie the game at 2-2. Wilson then scored on a groundout to give the Cougars the 3-2 advantage.
The bottom of the fifth saw Ripon (Wis.) jump back ahead. A one-out double by Michael Polcyn and a walk to Nick Schmitt was followed by a double to right center by Siudak, scoring both runners to put the Red Hawks back up 4-3. Ripon (Wis.) extended the lead to 5-3 later in the frame as Siudak scored on a Randy Finger single to right field.
Will Randerson doubled to open the bottom of the seventh for Concordia-Chicago (Ill.) and later scored on a Von Moser double to cut the Ripon (Wis.) lead to 5-4. The Cougars pulled ahead on a single by Brent Spohr, driving in two for a 6-5 lead.
Ripon (Wis.) loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but Jake Reinke lined out to shortstop to end the game.
Matt McTague (3-1) picked up the victory for Concordia-Chicago (Ill.). He pitched the final 4.1 innings, allowing two hits and two walks. Formella, who started the game, went 4.1 innings, giving up five runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out four. Von Moser went 3-for-4 for the Cougars with a double, RBI and two runs scored. Zubrzycki finished 2-for-3 with a double, walk and two runs. Spohr drove in two for the Cougars.
Matt Hecht (3-5) suffered the loss for Ripon (Wis.), giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits over 6.1 innings. He had four strikeouts and walked one batter. Siudak had three RBI and a double for the Red Hawks.
