Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

LISLE, Ill. - Opening both the conference and home schedules on the same date, the Benedictine University baseball team opened with a sweep of Concordia Chicago, who was picked second in the preseason poll and was receiving votes in the D3baseball.com Top 25. Both games were polar opposites.

GAME ONE: BENEDICTINE 3, CONCORDIA CHICAGO 2
The first contest saw a pair of hurler's duel as Kevin Crowley and Concordia Chicago's Bobby Beelen battled deep into the game.

Concordia Chicago struck for a run in the first inning with two outs thanks to a pair of walks and a hit batter following a single. The 1-0 advantage held until the bottom of the seventh as Benedictine struggled against Beelen.

Mike Luschen opened the seventh inning with a single, just the third hit of the day. Following a sacrifice bunt, Tom Higgins recorded a single to place runners at the corners. The tying run was thrown out at the plate on a fielder's choice for the second out but Tim Hendricks lined a double to left to score two runs and hand Benedictine the lead for the first time at 2-1.

The Eagles extended the lead with a needed insurance run in the bottom of the eighth. Luschen lifted a sacrifice fly to stretch the margin to 3-1. Concordia Chicago finally chased Crowley from the game in the ninth and pulled within 3-2 on a two-out double. Spencer Lehmann was able to notch the save by leaving the tying run at third.

Crowley tossed 8.2 innings in the win, improving to 3-0. The lefty allowed just two runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out three. Crowley threw 130 pitches in a gutsy effort. Luschen and Higgins posted two hits apiece in the win.

GAME TWO: BENEDICTINE 17, CONCORDIA CHICAGO 7 - 8 INNINGS
Concordia Chicago was on cruise control in the second contest before an 11 run inning drove the wheels off and Benedictine cruised to the victory.

The Cougars plated two runs in the first inning against starter Pat Cashman and added single tallies in third, fourth, and sixth to open a 5-0 advantage. Benedictine was having problems against Concordia starter Ryan Thorsen, unable to mount much prior to the huge outburst.

John Cervantes led off the 11 run frame with a walk, just the second time the leadoff man reached against Thorsen. Kevin Hendricks and Luschen singled to load the bases. With a new pitcher in the game, an error allowed the first run of the inning to score as Steve Cocat was credited with an RBI. Higgins singled home two runs to pull Benedictine within 5-3 and pinch hitter Brandon Clark evened the game with a two-run double down the left field line. The third pitcher of the inning allowed Nick Karakosta to double to left and put Benedictine ahead 6-5.

The outburst continued with an RBI single from Cervantes. Kevin Hendricks and Luschen also drove home runs to pad the lead while Higgins and Chris Wanderling forced home runs with the bases loaded. When the dust settled, Benedictine scored 11 runs with just one out on the board and sent 17 men to the plate in totaling seven hits in the frame while taking advantage of five errors and faced four different pitchers.

Cervantes nailed a two-run homer to left in the bottom of the seventh while the Eagles erupted for four more runs in the eighth to end the contest. Nick Severino and Mike Ostrowski brought home runs in the eighth before a Wanderling double ended the contest.

Cashman was the beneficiary of the run support. Starting for the first time in his career at home, the righty logged 7.2 innings on the hill to win for the second time. Cashman threw over 130 pitches while striking out eight.

Benedictine finished the game with 16 hits. Cervantes and Kevin Hendricks notched three each. Cervantes, Higgins, and Wanderling drove home three runs each.

Benedictine (10-3, 2-0) will travel on Monday to face Aurora (8-5, 2-0), the preseason favorites. The first game is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. The Eagles have trailed in all 10 victories this season and have scored four or more runs in a frame on 10 occasions.