RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Concordia University Chicago used a seven-run sixth inning to rally from a four-run deficit for an 11-7 win, finishing a doubleheader sweep of the Lakeland College baseball team Friday afternoon.
The Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference regular season champion Cougars also rolled to a 28-5 win in the first game, and with the two wins extended their conference winning streak to 10 games. Lakeland, meanwhile, finished its season with a 13-24 overall record-its largest win total since winning 17 games in 2012-and also finished 7-13 in the NACC.
Brandon Glaeser (
Sr.-Newton, Wis.),
Brooks Repking (
Fr.-Hamburg, Wis.) and
Drew Richard (
So.-Kieler, Wis.) all delivered RBI singles and Glaeser also sent in a run with a bases-loaded walk as the Muskies took a 5-1 lead in the sixth inning. Concordia (29-9 overall, 16-2 NACC) spoiled Lakeland's chances for an upset, though, sending 12 to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and scoring seven runs on seven hits. Joe Silva doubled to drive in two runs and Mitch Wilson added a two-run triple.
Glaeser finished with two hits and three RBIs while
Christopher Leopold (
So.-Bolingbrook, Ill.) also added two hits as part of a 10-hit attack for Lakeland.
Connor Hilburn (
Fr.-Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) took the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) in 5 1/3 innings, while
Luke Kelly (
Sr.-Marinette, Wis.) tied a Muskies' single-season record by making his 16th pitching appearance of the season.
Very little went right for the Muskies in the first game, at least until the seventh inning. Prior to that, the Cougars hammered out 26 hits and scored at least one run in every at bat, including eight in the first inning and 11 in the fifth.
Concordia hit a pair of grand slams, though Lakeland got one back in the seventh when
Travis Regalado (
Fr.-Willcox, Ariz.) launched a round-tripper over the left field fence for his first collegiate grand slam.
Luke Bacci (
Sr.-Grayslake, Ill.) also added a sacrifice fly to score
Kenny Pekarek (
Jr.-Sagola, Mich.) later in the inning.
Bryce Skelton (
Sr.-Delavan, Wis.) finished with two of the Muskies' six hits.
Luke Mandich (
Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) took the loss, going four innings and allowing 13 earned runs.
The games were the final ones for seven Lakeland seniors, including Bacci, Glaeser, Kelly, Mandich, Skelton,
Kyle Delahaut (
Green Bay, Wis.) and
Jared Rear (
Belleville, Wis.).