Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Dominican University baseball team split a two-game set against Wisconsin Lutheran in Milwaukee, Wis., on Sunday with both games requiring extra innings, falling 8-7 in ten innings in game one before rallying for a 6-4 win in ten innings in game two.
 
In game one, the Warriors put up the first five runs, scoring three in the second and two more in the third.
 
The Stars rallied back with four in the fifth.  Joe Krasny (Berwyn, Ill.) singled up the middle to help drive in a run ahead of Lucas McKinney (Arvada, Colo.) who roped a two run double, plating Krasny and Kevin Schwer (Evergreen Park, Ill.).  McKinney managed to also pick up a run as he scored on a passed ball later in the frame.
 
The Warriors put up one run in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 6-4 as Brett Youngbeck collected an RBI double down the left-field line. 
 
The Stars got that run back in the top of the sixth as Schwer grounded out to short, scoring Ryan DiCristofano (Streamwood, Ill.) who had walked to open the inning.
 
Dominican took their first lead of the afternoon in the top of the seventh as DiCristafano lined a shot to right field that helped drive in two Stars to make it a 7-6 Stars’ lead.  In the eighth, Wisconsin Lutheran managed to even the score and ultimately force extra innings, taking advantage of a pair of Dominican fielding errors.
 
The Stars were unable to bring a runner across in the top of the inning, failing to capitalize on a pair of walks and a Warrior error while the Warriors managed to get their final run of the game off of a crucial passed ball after the leadoff man reached base on the Stars’ third error of the game.
 
Cody Mueller (Addison, Ill.) was the sole pitcher on the hill for game one.   Mueller pitched 9-plus innings, gave up eight runs, six earned, on nine hits and three walks while striking out six.  Jaime Paumen was the winning pitcher for the Warriors, walking just two batters after coming on with one out in the top of the ninth.
 
Game two was another “barn burner”.  The action did not begin until the third inning when Wisconsin Lutheran managed to put up a sole run in the bottom of the inning. The Stars managed to rebuttal by DiCristafano hitting a two base shot to left center which helped drive in Tim Varallo (Chicago, Ill).
 
In the sixth, DiCristafano did it again and hit a sacrifice fly to right field which helped score another run.  The Warriors put two on the board after the stretch making it a 3-2 Wisconsin Lutheran game.
 
In the eighth, Adam Quinn (Libertyville, Ill.) hit a liner down the left field chalk that helped score pinch runner Alex Hernandez (Des Plaines, Ill.).  Then Richie Green (Chicago, Ill.) roped a ball to left field which helped drive in an unearned run by DiCristafano.
 
Wisconsin Lutheran did not give up and put another run on the board forcing the Stars to go to extras again for the second straight game in Wisconsin.
 
The Stars were determined to win the ballgame as they put up the final two runs of the day.  Quinlan Milne Rojek (Minneapolis, Minn.) singled to left field as he helped drive in Quinn while Schwer hit a blooper up the middle that helped score DiCristafano.  The Warriors were unable to bring a runner across as the Stars took the 6-4 victory.
 
Ryan Kukla (Chicago, Ill.) was in full control of the game on the bump.  Kukla tossed complete game for the Stars while making his first Dominican start in over a month.  Kukla gave up only four runs on 13 hits and one walk and punched out six.  Kukla’s effective and impressive pitching helped him improve him to a 2-0 record on the season with the frigid conference defeat.
 
The split with the Warriors moves the Stars to an 8-15 record overall.  The Stars are also 3-5 in the Northern Athletics Conference.  The Stars will have one day to practice before they travel to the Southside to take on the University of Chicago Maroons on Tuesday.  First pitch is set for 3:00 PM.  Dominican University will be providing live statistics for the game.