COMPLETE GAME BY MASTERSON PUSHES RCU PAST CONCORDIA IN GAME TWO OF DOUBLEHEADER

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. - It'll take a lot of ice and recovery, but the Warriors' Bryan Masterson put up Wilt Chamberlain numbers in a complete game 8-4 victory against the visiting Concordia Cardinals on Friday afternoon at Bill Shinsky Field. The Roseville native pitched 125 times, striking out seven batters in RCU's first victory over the Cardinals since the 2020-21 season. Both games saw the Warriors hit big home runs, including a three-RBI homer by Luke Jayaraman in RCU's 11-7 loss. 

In the first game, the Warriors and Cardinals were scoreless in the first two innings, before Concordia took a 1-0 lead off a home run. The visitors added four more unanswered runs until the fifth inning, where Lucas Bateman smashed a ball into centerfield for one RBI. The Cardinals responded with five runs in the sixth inning, before scoring another in the top of the seventh. However, the Warriors put on a formidable comeback bid with their backs against the wall. 

In the bottom of the seventh, RCU advanced two batters to first and second. Drew Schultz took advantage of the opportunity, doubling to left center to score two runs. After two walks and a wild pitch, the Warriors loaded the bases up, scoring another run off a second wild pitch by the Cardinals. The next at-bat, the Warriors got a windshield-smashing hit from Jayaraman, who homered to left field for three RBI. The run ended there for the Warriors, with a final score of 11-7 CUAA. 

That seventh-inning momentum carried into the second game for RCU, with Masterson leading the charge at the mound. After a score by the Cardinals in the top of the second, the Warriors responded with a deep drive into right field by Bateman, scoring two runs on a homer. The Cardinals scored a second run in the top of the third, but RCU grew the lead thanks to a setup by Jayaraman. The centerfielder doubled to kick off the inning, taking home after a Jack LaRue single. Shortly after, RCU loaded up the bases, rewarding LaRue with a walk to home for a 4-2 lead. 

The Warriors kept the fielding effort going after going cold at the plate in the fourth inning, which paved the way for a crucial fifth-inning play. Forcing the Cardinals into three quick outs, the Warriors got another home run in the bottom of the fifth - this time by 2024 First Team All-Conference player LaRue. The Warriors and Cardinals stayed scoreless in the sixth and seventh innings, setting up a heart-racing eighth. It seemed like the Cardinals got their momentum back, hitting a two-RBI home run to close the gap to one. However, Masterson remained composed and struck out a Concordia batter on the next at-bat, and the Warriors took a pop-up to end the top of the eighth with the lead. 

In the bottom of the eighth, the Warriors made some more big plays to give Masterson and the outfield some breathing room. That began with a booming home run by Aidan Alspaugh, who fired up the RCU dugout in a critical situation. The Warriors got the bases loaded up, setting up a two-RBI single by Cael Kuzinski, scoring Bateman and Brendan DeFlorio. In the ninth inning, the Warriors made one of their best defensive stands of the season, starting with a masterful strikeout by Masterson. The Warriors took the game on a flyout and groundout on the next two at-bats to win the game. 

UP NEXT

The Warriors host the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils on April 22. 

Hussein Murray - RCU Athletic Communications

Featured Image: Hannah Miktus - Hannah Miktus Photography