CUI Comes Out Firing on Opening Day

The #2 Concordia baseball team started their 2012 title defense on a good note, as the bats came alive against Simpson in a 14-2 win at home on Tuesday afternoon, January 24.

Blake Harrison toed the rubber for CUI for the first time since pitching a complete game in the World Series Final last June.  The Red Hawks tagged him for a few in the second inning, but Harrison calmed down from there and threw four innings, with three hits, and two runs given up.  Senior Jake Hovis came in to replace Harrison and was already in midseason form, allowing two hits and no runs in four innings pitched.  Josh White closed it down with a one, two, three ninth with two strikeouts.

SU starter Scott McKeen struggled out of the gate giving up one run in the first, two in the second, and two more in the third.  Chris Kuber drove in the first RBI of the season with a single up the middle in the first to score Dave Peterson.  Kuber finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBI's.  Matt Palmer doubled to left center in the second and scored on a throwing error by the third baseman after John Doering singled.  Ty Holm followed that up with a triple to right to make it 3-2 Eagles.

CUI came right back in the third as Chris Lemus drove in Aaron Gates and Ryan DiMascio who reached on a hit batsmen and single, respectively. 

The flood gates opening in the sixth for the Eagles.  Peterson and Kuber each drove in runs as the Eagles were active on the base paths, putting pressure on the Red Hawks, and going first to third on multiple occasions to record five runs on four hits. 

In the eighth inning CUI head coach Mike Grahovac used his bench and they were ready to go.  Tony Harkey, Jr. singled up the middle, Matt Taylor walked, and Kyle Konicek singled.  A passed ball scored another, two batters were hit by pitches, and the wheels were officially off for SU.  Daniel Shine finished the inning with a sacrifice fly to center and the Eagles had four runs on two hits and one error.

Ty Holm was 1-for-1 with two RBI's and Kyle Konicek went 2-for-5 with two drove in.  Chris Lemus was two-for-four with two RBI's.  Concordia had 14 runs on 14 hits and no errors.

With the win Concordia started the season 1-0.  SU dropped to 0-1 in their opener.  Concordia hosts their yearly Alumni game on Saturday at noon and gets back to the grind on Sunday at 10:00 am with a doubleheader against Arizona Christian.  Follow the live stats at www.cuieagles.com.