5/9/2010
(Fond du Lac, WI) - Marian University finished the 2010 campaign with a split against Concordia University-Wisconsin on Sunday at Herr-Baker Field. Eric Weber (Mt. Calvary, WI) hit a single in the bottom of the ninth to score Zach Wilderman (Mayville, WI) and send Marian home a 7-6 winner. The Falcons rallied late in game one to win 4-1.
Marian finished up the season with a 12-26 record and an 8-14 record in the Northern Athletics Conference. The Falcons are now 22-16 and 16-6 in the NAC. They will play next weekend in the 2010 Northern Athletics Conference Tournament.
Game one was a pitchers dual for seven innings between Marian's Ty Engler (Waterford, WI) and Concordia's Derrick Pankow. Marian grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the seventh as Anthony Porcaro (Burlington, WI) drove in Phil Seis (Antigo, WI) with a base hit.
Things turned quickly in the eighth, as the Falcons scored a pair of runs off a pair of hits and a walk. The Sabres put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the eighth with only one out, but couldn't deliver the big hit.
The Falcons added two insurance runs in the ninth for the 4-1 victory. Pankow pitched eight innings in the victory and struck out ten. Engler pitched seven innings and struck out eight. Tim Holtz (Oshkosh, WI) picked up the loss for Marian in relief, while Matt Parrent earned the save for the Falcons.
Porcaro led the offense with three hits, while Josh Klismith (Stevens Point, WI) and Seis both had a pair of hits.
In game two, Marian trailed 6-5 in the eighth, but scored as Ryan Dalton (Franklin, WI) singled in Porcaro. Marian tried stealing a run later in the inning, but Holtz was caught stealing home with two outs in a close play.
After shutting out the Falcons in the ninth, Weber singled in Wilderman for the game-winning run. Wilderman was pinch running for Chad Langley (Racine, WI) who led the inning off with a walk. Wilderman went to second on a perfectly-placed, sacrifice bunt by Will Martin (Villa Park, IL).
Dustin Andrus (Oakfield, WI) picked up the win in relief. He gave up just one run in his 3.2 innings.
Holtz had three hits in the game, while Porcaro, Dalton, and Seis all added a pair of hits. Dalton drove in three runs.