(March 17, 2008 - Xenia, Ohio) -- The afternoon began with the Concordia baseball team ranked number three in the NAIA Region VIII poll - the highest the team has ever been selected. After an 11-inning 3-2 pitcher's duel victory and a much easier 9-2 win in the nightcap the Cardinals returned home from the Athletes in Action facility in Xenia, Ohio with a sweep of the Cedarville Yellow Jackets and a 9-1 record - the best start in school history for the first 10 games of the season.

 

There were few highlights in the first game, particularly early, save for a second inning leadoff single by outfielder Alex Hoover (Sr. - Shelbyville, Mich.). With the base knock, Hoover picked up his 100th hit as a Cardinal and the hit moved him onto the Top 10 list for singles in a career.

 

However, much of the early action was dominated by the two teams's starting pitchers: Concordia's Ryan Burzycki (Sr. - New Boston, Mich.) and Cedarville's Jared Griest.

 

Burzycki would throw 6.2 solid innings, allowing only four hits and three walks while striking out a pair. Griest would counter with six strong innings himself, holding the Cards to five hits while allowing four walks and registering one strikeout. Neither pitcher would figure in the decision despite their quality starts.

 

It appeared that despite how strong Burzycki was throwing a third-inning error by the right-hander was going to doom the Cardinals to a loss. With runners at first and second and no outs, the Yellow Jackets attempted a sacrifice bunt. As Burzycki was in his windup, he was called for a balk but delivered the pitch to the plate, where Jordan Shumaker made solid contacted sending the bunt back to the mound. However, the Cardinal defense inexplicably froze on the balk call so when Burzycki whirled to throw the ball to first, no one was covering and his ball sailed down the right-field line scoring both runners. The Cards held firm and Cedarville wouldn't score the rest of the way - which would prove to be much longer than the originally scheduled seven innings.

 

Concordia would get on the board with a single tally in the fourth as Aaron Hacias (Jr. - Sterling Heights, Mich.) lead off the frame with a double and move to third on a passed ball. Hoover would knock him in with a sacrifice fly to left and the Cards pulled within 2-1.

 

Neither team would do much for the next several innings until the game had entered what was believed to be the final inning. The seventh opened with a Tim McEvoy (Jr. - Detroit, Mich.) single. Mike Music (Fr. - Utica, Mich.) ran for McEvoy and move to second on a wild pitch from Griest. With a new pitcher on the mound, the Cards manufactured the tying run. Jose Paez (So. - Grand Blanc, Mich.) moved Music to third with a sacrifice bunt and Tony Pounders (So. - Livonia, Mich.) scored the runner with a ground ball to second.

 

After recording the first two outs in the bottom of the seventh with the game tied at 2-2, Burzycki ran into his first real problem of the day. He walked the number nine hitter, who moved to second on a steal. Burzycki then hit leadoff hitter Pete Cruz and both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Concordia then intentionally walked Shumaker to load the bases giving the defense options all around the diamond, but at the expense of pitching to Cedarville's best hitter in Paul Wilson.

 

Ben Sprague (Jr. - DeWitt, Mich.) moved from third to the mound with Tyler Maxey (Jr. - Dimondale, Mich.) manning the hot corner for the Cards and Burzycki hoping to avoid a loss on the bench. Sprague struck out the big hitter and the game moved to extra innings.

 

Concordia had scoring options snuffed out in the 8th and 10th innings, while Cedarville couldn't capitalize in the 8th and 9th innings.

 

The 11th inning was finally the break through inning as Maxey lead off with a single and Music came on to run, advancing to second on a Blake Edwards (Jr. - Lathrup Village, Mich.) sacrifice bunt. McEvoy was intentionally walked and Zach Johnston (So. - Ionia, Mich.) came on to run for the catcher. Paez followed with a walk and Pounders would came up with the bases loaded and one out. But the shortstop grounded into a fielder's choice as the pitcher cut down Music at the plate. But Zane Johnston (So. - Ionia, Mich.), who was named the WHAC Player of the Week earlier in the day, would draw a two-out walk to score the go-ahead run. Johnston would finish the day with six walks all told.

 

Sprague (1-0) would finish off Cedarville in the 11th to pick up his first win as a Cardinal. For the second straight start, Burzycki failed to figure in the decision but can look upon his stat line of the season for quick comfort: 14.2 innings pitched and no earned runs with eight strike outs, six walks and four hits.

 

The second game Justin Gauthier (Sr. - Muskegon, Mich.) took to the hill and he struggled early, not enough for a major concern, but enough that the bullpen had activity in much of the final four innings. When all was said and done, he got stronger and finished with a complete game.

 

The game started with a little too familiar pattern for Cardinal head coach Karl Kling. The Concordia offense was stagnant in the first couple of innings and Cedarville had manufactured a run in the first to lead 1-0.

 

All that changed in the third inning. Cedarville starter Colby Stoltzfus had held the Cards in check for two innings, but the third it unravelled. Pounders lead off with a single and was ruled safe at second on fielder's choice off the bat of Sprague when the Yellow Jacket's Cruz dropped the ball at second. Hacias would follow with a walk and Hoover delivered the key blow: a line shot grand slam to left field.

 

Gauthier would allow another tally in the third but would settled down for the final four innings allowing only two more hits.

 

Concordia would score two in the top of the fourth to regain the momentum as Hacias would triple to knock in Zane Johnston, who had walked and was advanced on a Sprague sacrifice bunt. Edwards would knock in Hacias with a two-out single. The first baseman would finish the day with four hits for Concordia.

 

The Cardinals would add a run in the fifth as Zane Johnston singled in Paez, who had walked and stole second; and a pair in the seventh as Sprague would double to score Paez and Maxey, who had walked and singled, respectively.

 

The day was a long, drawn-out affair that finished with a pair of wins for Concordia (9-1). The Cardinals now hope that the weather in Michigan will finally give way to allow some games, althought this weekend's doubleheader against Northwood remains in serious jeopardy.