MEQUON, Wis. – The Concordia University Wisconsin baseball team returned to form in a big way Saturday, sweeping Aurora University in a doubleheader highlighted by a dominant 10-0 mercy-rule win in game one, followed by a thrilling 5-4 walk-off victory in game two.
With the sweep, the Falcons improve to 15-12 overall and climb back to .500 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, now sitting at 7-7. Saturday's wins also mark Concordia's first victory over Aurora since 2018 and their first sweep of the Spartans since the 2015 season.
The Falcons wasted no time asserting control, putting up six runs in the second inning to set the tone early. Sophomore Jason Valdez (Glendale Heights, Ill.) opened the scoring with a bases-loaded single. Senior Brynden Cleveland (Crestwood, Ill.) followed by drawing a walk to bring in another run, and sophomore Alex Ames (Plymouth, Wis.) was hit by a pitch to tack on a third.
Freshman Graham Kasten (Mequon, Wis.) added a sacrifice fly, and with the bases reloaded, senior Kyle Flynn (Downers Grove, Ill.) drove a two-RBI single through the left side to cap the explosive inning.
CUW added two more in the sixth. With a runner on, Ames tripled home a run and later scored on a single up the middle from Kasten, extending the lead to 8-0.
On the mound, senior Zach Slome (Schaumburg, Ill.) was in complete control, throwing a complete game shutout. He allowed just two hits, struck out five, and needed only 84 pitches to record 21 outs. Slome retired the Spartans in order in the third, fourth, and sixth innings.
Concordia sealed the win in the seventh. Cleveland doubled down the left field line for an RBI, and Kasten's second RBI single of the game made it 10-0, enforcing the mercy rule.
The Falcons' defense was spotless, committing no errors behind Slome's gem. Offensively, CUW outhit Aurora 14-2. Kasten led the team with a game-high three hits and three RBIs, while Ames, Flynn, Miller, and Valdez each chipped in two hits.
The second game proved much tighter. Aurora struck first, scoring three runs in the top of the third, but CUW answered with one in the bottom half as Connor Lasch (Chicago, Ill.) drove an RBI single to left.
In the third inning, Kyle Flynn brought home Brynden Cleveland on a sacrifice fly, trimming the deficit to 3-2. Concordia took the lead in the fifth with back-to-back solo homers—first from Lasch to left field, followed immediately by senior Tyler Brandenburg (Saukville, Wis.) launching one to center, putting CUW up 4-3.
Aurora tied it up in the sixth, and the game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the ninth.
Ames led off the final frame with an infield single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Moments later, Kasten delivered the walk-off hit—a line drive to the right-center gap—scoring Ames and securing the sweep with a 5-4 victory.
On the mound, senior Jack Hribernik (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) pitched seven strong innings, keeping the Spartans in check and allowing minimal opportunities. Owen Burns (Morris, Ill.) earned the win in relief, throwing two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and no walks to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Lasch led the offensive effort in game two with a home run and two RBIs.
Concordia heads on the road Tuesday to face the always-competitive Sabres of Marian University in another key NACC matchup.
