The Aquinas baseball team traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to face-off against Concordia in a road WHAC doubleheader on Sunday (Apr. 10). The Saints were able to take down the 23-win Cardinals in game one by a 6-4 score, before falling in game two 10-0. AQ now sits at 15-22 (3-6 WHAC) on the season as CUAA currently has a record of 24-14 (6-6 WHAC) on the year.
GAME 1: Aquinas 6, Concordia 4
The Saints quickly gained a 2-0 lead in the top half of the first inning as
Dane Smitz opened the ball game with a single to center field an then ended up on second on a passed ball with one out.
Braden Nawrocki knocked in Smitz on a single to right field for the first run. A fielder's choice and another single by
Tyler Zomerlei loaded up the bases before
Mark Binkowski lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in Nawrocki.
Another three runs were scored in the second inning for AQ as both
Kelvin Aracena and Smitz were hit by a pitch with one out.
Nathan Hughes made Concordia pay, hammering a three-run home run to left center field for his team leading fourth shot of the season.
The Cardinals climbed back into the ball game in the fourth inning with four runs on an RBI single and a three-run home run of their own to make the score 5-4. The Saints scored an insurance run in the fifth inning when Nawrocki blasted his third home run of the season for a solo shot over the right field fence as Aquinas eventually won 6-4.
Zach Marshall (4-4) gained his second complete game win in a row after allowing four runs on 10 hits and three walks in seven innings, while striking out six.
Smitz was a perfect 3-3 at the plate as Nawrocki also collected two hits and two RBI with Hughes leading the way at three runs driven in.
GAME 2: Concordia 10, Aquinas 0
Unfortunately, it was all the Cardinals in game two as they scored three runs in the first, four runs in the second, and two runs a piece in the third and fifth innings. CUAA finished with 14 hits compared to AQ's five.
Garrett Cheslek (1-3) took the loss after completing the first inning and pitching to two hitters in the second. He allowed five runs on five hits and two wild pitches.
Mason Hill threw the remainder of the second inning, surrendering two runs on three hits and a walk.
Nathan Myers pitched the majority of the game at three and a third innings, giving up three runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Caden Gregory came in two get the final two outs of the sixth inning on a line out double play.
One bright spot at the plate was Binkowski who finished game two 3-3 as Smitz and
Chris Suriel Garcia claimed the other two hits.
Aquinas has a quick turnaround by heading to Madonna on Monday (Apr. 11) for another road WHAC doubleheader in Livonia, Michigan, beginning at 11:00 AM.
