By Beth Renkoski
04/02/09
Eagles Deny Lions at Home
 
Brian Lewis started and took the loss for VU |
 
Left fielder Nick Akins hit his 10th home run |
Wishmyer pitched 1.2 innings for VU
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Krzysiak singles for Vanguard
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Costa Mesa, Calif. - The Concordia Eagles avenged yesterday's GSAC loss to the Vanguard Lions by pounding out 17 hits in a 13-8 victory on Vanguard's home turf today. The Lions hit two home runs and tallied 12 hits of their own but it was not enough to keep up with the Eagles, who remain one place behind Vanguard in the GSAC standings.
VU starting pitcher Brian Lewis (1-2) cruised through the first inning but things got rough from there. Following a strikeout by Lewis to begin the top of the second inning, the Eagles rattled off three straight hits and a sacrifice fly, taking a 2-0 lead. Lewis walked another Eagle before Michael Gonzales hit a two-run double for a 4-0 CUI lead. A run-scoring single by Pete Lemone plated CUI's fifth run, and Lewis walked the bases full before a Vanguard error completed the six-run inning for the Eagles.
Jordan Wishmyer took over for Lewis in the top of the third inning and held the Eagles scoreless in his first inning of work. However, the Eagles tallied three singles in a row to score the first run of the fourth inning. Wishmyer recorded the second out of the inning, but Edgar Guillen belted a two-run double to stretch CUI's lead to 10-1.
The Lions picked up a run in the bottom of the fourth when junior Nick Akins crushed his tenth home run of the season and second in as many games.
Ryan Vollkemmer became VU's third pitcher of the game as he relieved Wishmyer for the final out of the fourth, but immediately ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. Gonzalez started the rally with a double to left-center and Zach Barger walked with one out to put two runners on base. Gregg Davidson ripped a Vollkemmer pitch for a three-run homer to cap CUI's scoring, giving the Eagles a 13-2 lead.
Vanguard rallied for six runs in the final two innings against the Eagles, but it was not enough. Daniel Black hit his first home run of the season while Brett Siegmund and Mario Romero hit RBI singles in VU's three-run eighth inning.
Down to their last three outs, the Lions came within five runs with a three-run ninth. Tyler Gentry and Akins collected the RBIs for the Lions as Akins completed his day 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and a pair of runs batted in.
Totaling 12 hits on the day, the Lions had nine other players add hits to the offense. Bryce Reid pitched the final 4.1 innings of the game for the Lions, striking out six and allowing two hits and no runs.
Concordia improved to 15-16 overall and 11-14 in GSAC with the win, while the Lions slip to 15-16 overall and 11-13 in GSAC.
Vanguard returns to action on Saturday when the Lions travel to Riverside to face the California Baptist Lancers. Game one of the double header begins at 12:00 p.m.
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