PENSACOLA, Fla. - The Concordia University Wisconsin baseball team extended its winning streak, earning their fourth consecutive victory and third straight win at the Pensacola Challenge with a dominant 12-1 run-rule triumph over the UW-Stout Blue Devils. With a 13-game record of 8-5, the Falcons have now won six of their last eight contests, scoring 10 or more runs in six of those games, all of which were victories.
Offensive firepower has been a defining characteristic for CUW during this stretch, as they've posted double-digit runs in every game of their current four-game winning streak.
On the defensive side, CUW has been equally impressive, limiting their opponents to six or fewer runs in the last three games, and they have committed no errors in their victories over LeTourneau and UW-Stout.
In Sunday's win over UW-Stout, the Falcons' offense was explosive early and often, scoring five runs in the first inning and seven more in the fourth to seal the 12-1 victory in seven innings.
The Falcons wasted no time on Sunday, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the first. Senior Brynden Cleveland (Crestwood, Ill.) started the scoring with a single to right field, bringing home sophomore Alex Ames (Plymouth, Wis.).
A few batters later, senior Josh Aguiniga (Chicago, Ill.) followed with a single to left to drive in another run.
The inning was capped by a deep three-run home run to left field by junior Matt Miller (Fredonia, Wis.), giving the Falcons a commanding 5-0 lead after the first frame.
In the fourth, CUW continued to roll, scoring seven runs on nine hits.
Freshman Graham Kasten (Mequon, Wis.) delivered a three-run homer to right field, bringing in himself, Ames, and Jack Owens (Chicago, Ill.). Aguiniga added to the rally with another single to left field, driving in another run. Aguiniga would later score on a passed ball.
Freshman Colyn Lessila (Germantown, Wis.) kept the offense rolling with a single to right that drove in another run. Kasten then drove in Lessila with another single through the right side, as the Falcons led 12-1 after the fourth inning.
Over the final three innings, CUW's defense remained flawless, and senior pitcher Luke Bruckner (Fond du Lac, Wis.) put the finishing touches on the victory. In the fifth through seventh innings, Bruckner retired nine of the 11 batters he faced, allowing no runs and securing the complete-game, run-rule victory for the Falcons.
Bruckner went all seven innings, allowing just one run while striking out three batters. This marked his first career complete game.
Offensively, Graham Kasten and Jack Owens led the charge with a game-high three hits each. Kasten finished the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs and a walk, while Miller drove in three runs.
Six different Falcons recorded multiple hits in the game, and this was the second time this season Concordia hit multiple home runs in a single game.
With the win, the Falcons head into conference play with plenty of momentum. Next weekend, CUW will travel to face the tough Benedictine Eagles, who were selected as the preseason favorites in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) poll.
