MEQUON, Wis. - It took 7 hours to complete Saturdays baseball doubleheader between the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons and the Rockford College Regents, but the results of the games were worth the wait if you are a Regents fan. Both games were tight throughout and came down to the wire with each being decided by a single run and the Regents coming out on top both times 9-8 and 3-2. The Regents have now won 7 straight against the Falcons and are an impressive 13-2 against them since both schools joined the Northern Athletics Conference for the 2007 season.
Rockford was able to score 9 runs in the opener off just 7 hits while taking advantage of 9 Falcon errors. The Regents took advantage of 4 Falcon errors through the first three innings of the game to take an early 2-0 lead. Left fielder Matt Grimes (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) extended the lead further when he led of the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to make it a 3-0 lead. After Concordia Wisconsin scored a run in the top of the fifth, Rockford answered right back with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Terry Wiltshire (Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge) got things started singling into center field to begin the inning. He would later score on yet another Falcon error to put his team back up by three. However, credit the Falcons as they would not go away and scored the next four runs to take a 5-4 lead. The resilient Regents fired right back with an impressive 5-run seventh to retake the lead. Rockford was able to load the bases with no outs thanks to a walk, hit batsman and a Wiltshire single. Chris Holke (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) then tied the game on an RBI groundout. One batter later Matt Grimes reached base on a wild pitch dropped third strike which allowed Wiltshire to score and Rockford to retake the lead. The Regents then took advantage of 3 more Falcon errors to score their final 3 runs of the inning and go up 9-5. Concordia Wisconsin scored three runs over the final two innings but it was not enough as Rockford held on for a 9-8 victory.
The Regents used a trio of pitchers in game one. Junior Kaleb Rich (Washington, Iowa/Washington) was cruising through his first four innings on the mound holding the Falcons scoreless until the game went into a 20 minute rain delay. Despite the long wait, Rich still managed to get through 5 innings giving up only 3 runs while striking out 5. Jacob LeMay (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) came in and threw the next 2.1 innings in relief and picked up the win to improve his record to 2-0. Lemay surrendered 2 earned runs but struck out 4 batters and walked none. Senior closer Sean Gillette (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) threw the final 1.2 innings of the game to earn his first save of the season.
The nightcap of the doubleheader turned out to be a pitcher's dual highlight by the outstanding pitching of starter Kyle Pisano (Chicago, Ill./LaSalle-Peru). Pisano breezed through the first five innings of the game allowing zero Falcon hits as the Regents took a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning. However, the Falcons finally recorded a hit off Pisano in the fifth and ended up tying the game at 1-1. The Rockford offense got the run back in the bottom of the inning to regain its 1-run advantage. Then despite Pisano's best efforts, the Falcons took advantage of a Rockford error in the eighth inning to once again draw even. After nine complete innings and the score still tied Pisano existed the game throwing just over 100 pitches during his nine innings on the mound. The junior scattered 7 hits while allowing just one earned run and striking out 3 batters.
Senior Zac Wolf (LaSalle, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) pitched a perfect 10th inning and picked up his first win of the season after the Regents offense ended the game in the bottom of the tenth. Junior shortstop Matt Szytz (Huntley, Ill./Huntley) laced a double into left field to start the inning and put himself into scoring position with no outs. Left fielder Adrian Gameros (Rialto, Calif./Carter) then placed a single into left field to put runners on the corners with still no one out. Finally, freshman Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill./Lena-Winslow) stepped up to the plate and promptly ended the game with an RBI single to left center scoring Szytz and completing the sweep.
Despite only scoring three runs in game two Rockford saw some good hitting performances. Matt Szytz had by far his best performance at the plate so far this season. The junior was an impressive 3-4 with a double and a pair of stolen bases. Szytz also scored two runs including the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth. Senior Daryn Streed (Belvidere, Ill./North) went 2-4 at the plate and scored the other run for Rockford. Streed also drove in the Regents first run of the game in the bottom of the third with an RBI single through the right side.
The baseball team will not get much of a break as they are scheduled to travel to Fond du Lac, Wis. on Sunday for a doubleheader against the Marian University Sabres. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
