WESTFIELD, Indiana -- On Opening Day at the Crossroads Crossover, the Heidelberg University baseball team turned in a grand performance at Grand Park, toppling Concordia Chicago, 10-1. The Student Princes had four extra-base hits, played clean defense, and struck out 12 Cougars to improve to 1-0 on the season.
Offensively,
Andrew Pokley went 3-for-5 with an RBI and
Adam McVicker was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI.
Starter
Corbin Caplan set the tone for Heidelberg, fanning eight and allowing one run on five hits in five full innings.
Scoreless in the third, Caplan allowed a leadoff triple, but struck out the next three batters.
Buoyed by Caplan's performance, the offense awoke in the top of the fourth. After
Camden Farley and
Thomas Sauer walked to start,
Aidan Corrigan delivered a double to right that drove in a run. Later, Pokley added a one-out single that scored Sauer.
Down 2-0, Concordia scored their lone run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.
Kyle Krummen was hit by a pitch to start the top half of the fifth, moved to second on an infield hit by
Braedy Limke, and scored on a single to center by McVicker. Limke scored on a wild pitch before Sauer lifted a sacrifice fly to left that allowed McVicker to score.
Ahead 5-1 in the eighth, the Student Princes broke out for a five-spot. Corrigan, a college sports statistics entry enthusiast, walked to lead off, then raced home on a double by
Andrew Cook. Later, Pokley -- who added an infield single -- stole third and scored on a throwing error by the catcher. Krummen followed with a double to left center that drove in
Reece McNeely. McVicker capped the inning with a majestic two-run blast which barely cleared the wall in right center.
Zane Mirgon and
Nicolas Lavelle combined for four innings of scoreless relief. Mirgon allowed two hits and struck out three in three innings while Lavelle worked a 1-2-3 ninth.
Heidelberg's 10 hits were their most in a nine-inning season opener since recording 12 in the 2017 opener -- A 12-11 loss to Anderson.
The Student Princes return to action on Sunday when they face Wabash at 11 a.m.
