Concordia 10, Davenport 9 - 11 innings

Concordia 13, Madonna 6

(May 1, 2009 - Livonia, Mich.) -- The fifth-seeded Concordia baseball team came out swinging on the first day of the WHAC playoffs as the Cardinals rallied for an opening game win before a dominating performance against the top-seeded team to end day one with a perfect 2-0 record.

The opener featured the fourth-seeded Panthers of Davenport against Concordia with the Cardinals jumping out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as a Jeff Bultinck (So. - Sterling Heights, Mich.) ground-out scored Zane Johnston (Jr. - Ionia, Mich.) - who walked, stole second and moved to third on a pop-out.

Davenport took the lead with a pair of runs in the third off of starting pitcher Ryan Noack (Fr. - Hamilton, Ont.). Noack threw seven innings allowing a dozen hits with a walk and six earned runs while getting a no-decision in the game.

Concordia regained the lead quickly with three in the bottom of the third and a pair in the fourth to build a 6-2 lead.

A Bultinck home run in the fifth seemingly put Concordia in charge but Davenport methodically rallied from the five-run deficit to eventually chase Noack from the hill and force extra innings.

The Panthers pulled within three with a pair of runs in the sixth and edged even closer in the next frame with a single tally as they trailed the Cards 7-5 with only two innings remaining. After allowing a leadoff single in the eighth, Noack was replaced by Denver Straub (So. - Milan, Mich.). Before the submarine-pitcher would escape the inning, Davenport had tied the game with two unearned runs while Concordia's bats remained silent.

Neither team scored in the ninth or the tenth, but Davenport seemed well-positioned to move into the winner's bracket after plating three in the top of the 11th.  But the drama was just beginning.

Zane Johnston lead off with a walk and moved to second on Zach Johnston's (Jr. - Ionia, Mich.) single. Bultinck, attempting to sacrifice both runners with a bunt, would reach safely to load the bases. Nick DePender came on to pitch for Davenport and was on the brink of escaping after enticing Ben Sprague (Sr. - DeWitt, Mich.) to groundout into a double-play leaving a runner at third and the Cards down 9-8. But DePender hit Tony Pounders (Jr. - Livonia, Mich.) with a pitch to keep the inning alive. Pounders was replaced on the base paths by Sean Quesada (Jr. - Troy, Mich.). Up to the plate came Adam Goodwin (Sr. - Portland, Mich.) who ripped a double to the left-center gap allowing the tying and winning runs to score sending Concordia into a matchup against #1-seeded Madonna.

The second game showcased the grit and determination of starting pitcher Brent McNeil (Jr. - Springboro, Ohio) who threw a complete-game that featured 167 total pitches. Aiding the effort was a Concordia offense that hit the recently-named WHAC Pitcher of the Year, Jeff Sonnenberg, hard and often as he gave up 11 hits and a walk in eight innings allowing 11 runs to scored. While the Cardinal offense was swinging it was Sonnenberg's defense behind him that made a bigger difference as they committed a half-dozen runs allowing six unearned runs to score in the 11 given up total.

With the game tied 1-1 entering the third the Cards broke it open with five in the frame. Matt Hunt (Fr. - Howell, Mich.) doubled and moved to third on a Zane Johnston sacrifice bunt. Zach Johnston followed with a single to give the Cards a 2-1 lead. Bultinck would single and Sprague would reach on an error to load the bases. All the runner would score on Pounders' deep double to center and Concordia was up 5-1. Pounders would come around to score on a Tim McEvoy (Sr. - Detroit, Mich.) single before the inning ended.

Madonna would score a pair in the third to pull within 6-3, but Concordia answered with a trio of runs themselves in the fourth to extend the lead to 9-3. With two out, Zach Johnston reached via a bunt hit and moved to third on a Bultinck double. Sprague would again reach due to a fielding gaffe, allowing both runners to score. Sprague himself scored due to an error as Goodwin's groundout to second baseman Ryan Morrow was botched as the three runs were all unearned with Concordia now up six heading to the bottom of the fourth.

The Crusaders again pulled closer with a pair of runs before the bats went silent for both teams until the final inning.

Bultinck opened the ninth with a triple and scored on Sprague's double. Andy Buchanan (Fr. - Farmington Hills, Mich.) would come on to run for Sprague and with one-out Madonna walked Goodwin intentionally. Both runners moved up om McEvoy's groundout to first with Blake Edwards (Sr. - Lathrup Village, Mich.) coming on to pinch-hit for Frank Persichino (Jr. - Sterling Heights, Mich.). Madonna intentionally walked Edwards, who was replaced on the bases by Persichino, who re-entered the game. A Matt Hunt grounder escaped the Madonna third baseman and Buchanan and Goodwin came around to score before the inning was ended by a Zach Johnston flyout.

McNeil would allow a one-out home run in the ninth before closing the game out to pick up his seventh win of the season.  All told, McNeil scattered nine hits and six walks while allowing only two earned runs.

With the wins, Concordia (25-28) moves into the winner's bracket final against Indiana Tech on Saturday.