Cook recorded the Wolves' only RBI on Friday
Milwaukee, Wis. – It was another hard day for the Cardinal Stritch University Wolves baseball team, who fell 11-1 to Trinity Christian College. The Wolves couldn’t get anything going on offense and were outhit 18-2 in the loss.
After striking out the leadoff man, Andy Klein (Cudahy, Wis.) gave up a triple to right center, past a diving Phil Cook. Joseph Gura (Montgomery, Ill.) then hit a slow roller to the right side. Both Micah Thompson (North Prairie, Wis.) and Austin James (Milwaukee, Wis.) went to play the ball and the miscommunication allowed Gura to reach. The Trolls then used a sacrifice fly Steve Pellack (Tinley Park, Ill.) to give TCC a one run advantage before the Wolves closed the top half of the inning.
The Wolves went three up, three down in the bottom of the first, before the Trolls extended their lead to two when Justin Romanoff (Darien, Ill.) singled in Josh Pollema (Rock Valley, Iowa). Stritch managed to get one run back in the bottom of the second, as Jake Lark (Germantown, Wis.) scored on a single by Cook.
Stritch got in a bit of a jam after giving up two hits in the top of the fourth, but Klein was able to get out of it, forcing a slow grounder to third baseman Dean Mlachnik (Muskego, Wis.) and earning the strikeout to close the inning.
The Trolls’ catcher, Mike Birkner (Downers Grove, Ill.), led off the sixth inning with a line shot over the left field fence to give TCC a 3-1 lead. TCC continued to increase their advantage, scoring two more in the seventh.
The Wolves continued to struggle on offense and Klein was replaced with Steve Lenski (Milwaukee, Wis.) in the eighth. The Trolls attacked the sophomore, recording seven hits and six runs in the inning to gain a ten run lead. Anthony Narducci (Joliet, Ill.) sat down three pinch hitters in the bottom of the inning to end the game, 11-1.
Birkner led the Trolls at the plate, going 5-5 with two doubles, a homerun, and 3 RBI. Frank Hrdy (Lafayette, Ind.) and Anthony Fiorenzi (Downers Grove, Ill.) each recorded three hits in the win for TCC.
The Wolves combined for only two hits, one apiece by Cook and Thompson.
Stritch falls to 12-21 with the loss. They will finish the series against Trinity Christian tomorrow in Palos Heights, Ill. The first game of the double header is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m.