Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) 13, Kalamazoo College (Mich.) 2

La Crosse, Wis. - Concordia University Chicago (Ill.) earned a 13-2 victory over Kalamazoo College (Mich.) in the opening round Wednesday night at the NCAA Division III  Midwest Regional at Copeland Park. Concordia Chicago (Ill.), ranked 19th on D3baseball.com, improves to 33-11 on the season.  The Cougars advance to play Luther College (Iowa) Thursday, May 19 at 7:45 p.m. Kalamazoo (Mich.) falls to 24-19-1 on the season and will play in an elimination game Thursday at 1:15 p.m. against North Central College (Ill.).  
 
Concordia Chicago (Ill.) took the lead in the bottom of the first, scoring three runs on five hits.  Bryan VanDuser singled to open the frame and scored on a one-out double from Andrew Massey to make it 1-0.  Brent Spohr followed with a single through the right side scoring Massey and the lead was 2-0.  After a walk and a single, Kevin Coppin's single to center scored Spohr for a 3-0 lead. 
 
Kalamazoo (Mich.) got on the board in top of the third.  Three straight walks after Ryan Orr's one-out single drew the Hornets closer at 3-1, and knocked Concordia Chicago's (Ill.) starting pitcher Eric Palmer from the game.  Mike Formella came on in relief for the Cougars and walked Brett Garwood, scoring Ian Kobernick to make it 3-2.  The next batter for the Hornets, Connor Grant, hit a line drive to second base which was caught by Mitch Wilson, who threw over to first to double up Brett Garwood, ending the threat for Kalamazoo (Mich.).
 
Concordia Chicago (Ill.) answered with two runs in the bottom of the third.  Spohr opened the inning with a single, followed by a Mitch Wilson double to left.  Both runners scored on a throwing error on a Grant Davis grounder to make the score 5-2. 
 
The Cougars broke the game open in the bottom of the fourth, scoring six runs on four hits.  Massey's double down the left field line drove in a run to make it 6-2.  After a pitching change, Spohr singled to left scoring Joe Silva, who had singled earlier in the frame, making it 7-2.  After Wilson walked, Davis doubled down the left field line, driving in two, and it was 9-2.  Wilson scored on Coppin's sacrifice fly to make it 10-2, and the lead grew to 11-2 after Davis scored on an Andrew Kronke sacrifice fly. 
 
Silva singled to open the eighth for Concordia Chiccago (Ill.).  He scored on a Massey single to center after a fielding error by the center fielder to increase the Cougars lead to 12-2.  Spohr's sacrifice fly to center scored Massey to make the final 13-2. 
 
Formella (8-2) picked up the win for Concordia Chicago (Ill.).  He didn't give up a hit over 2.2 innings, struck out three and walked two.  Nick Barnhill picked up his first save of the season, pitching the final 4.0 innings.  He didn't give up a run on four hits with two strikeouts. 
   
Massey went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two RBI, and three runs for the Cougars. Spohr was 3-for-4 with three RBI and three runs while Davis was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBI.  Silva added two hits and scored twice. 
 
Aaron Schwark (5-3) took the loss for Kalamazoo (Mich.), giving up eight runs (six earned) on 10 hits over 3.0 innings.  He struck out five and walked two.  Orr went 2-for-3 with one run scored while Mitchell VanKoevering and Garwood each had an RBI.