AVON PARK; FROSTPROOF, FLA.- Monday featured two games, against two different teams, on two different fields for the Rockford University baseball team. After a long day, the Regents came away with two victories. Game one was an early afternoon game against Penn-St. Abington (1-3). After getting shut out yesterday the bats of the Rockford University baseball team came alive against Penn-St. Abington to the tune of an 8-1 victory. Game two was against Gordon College (3-1). It did not start out as smoothly as the Penn-St. game, but one key hit changed the entire outlook for the Regents.
Rockford continued their strong defensive play on its spring trip, turning a total of four double plays against Penn-St Abington, including one each in the first two innings on line drives. Jacob Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill./Jefferson) got the start on the mound for the Regents and pitched a great game. In six innings he allowed only five hits and three walks. He struck out four batters and the only run he gave up was a two-out bases loaded walk in the fourth inning. Eric Miller (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy) and Scott Swiderek (Chicago, Ill./Walter Lutheran) combined to throw three shut-out innings in relief of Gorsuch, allowing only three base runners.
The Regents had their offense going throughout the game; scoring two runs a piece in the first, third, fifth, and sixth innings. The run scoring in the first started with a two-strike, two-out hit by Chris Senn (Apple Valley, Calif./Silverado). Senn scored following a miscue in right field on a flyball. Bryan Grabowski (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) finished the scoring by lining a RBI single up the middle. In the third it was Senn again to start things for Rockford by leading off the inning with a single and stealing second a couple of pitches later. He was driven in by Matt Grimes (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) who tripled to center field. Grimes was driven in a short time later on a single by Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich).
Continuing his great game, Senn again started things for the Regents, this time with a lead-off double in the fifth inning. Terry Wiltshire (Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge) followed with a single up the middle and then Grabowski drove in Senn for his second RBI of the day. Wiest also had his second RBI of the game after beating out a groundball to second with Wiltshire scoring on the play. Senn capped off his great game in the sixth inning, hitting a two-run home run to left field, scoring Jake McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill./Stillman Valley) who had singled and stole his second base of the game a few batters earlier. Senn finished 4-for-5 with four runs, a double, a home run, and two RBI. Grabowski and Wiest both went 2-for-4 with two RBI's.
In game two there was not much action until the bottom of the third inning when starter Zach Liberatore (Plainfield, Ill./Central) got himself into some trouble. Liberatore cruised through the first two innings, giving up two runners in the second inning but he picked off both runners. The first two batters for Gordon reached base to start the bottom of the third and they were then sacrificed over. From there things went downhill. A RBI single, followed by an error on a stolen base resulting in another run, and three straight hits resulted in four more runs for Gordon. Joe Rigg (Orlando Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) came into the game and after throwing a wild pitch, resulting in a run, and giving up an RBI hit he got out of the inning with a line out to center field and a strike out. Rigg would settle down from this point on and would pitch the rest of the game. He finished with 6 and two-third innings pitched; giving up six hits, one walk, one earned run, and struck out six batters.
Rockford's hot bats did not carry over into the game until the fifth inning when they exploded. Gorsuch started the inning with a walk. Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) and Adrian Gameros (Rialto, Calif./Carter) followed with singles to load the bases. Grimes hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Gorsuch. Kyle LaMore (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley) then walked to reload the bases. Continuing his hot day, Senn hit a two-run single to left field. After a pitching change Chris Holke (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) walked to once again load the bases. Swiderek came up to the plate and worked a full-count, fouling off a couple of pitches. Eventually he connected for a go-ahead grand slam over the right field wall.
Not to be out done, Gordon came back the next inning to tie it up on a double and a Regent error. Rockford would answer with two of their own in the sixth inning to retake the lead. Barrera led off the inning with a walk. LaMore worked a two-out walk and Senn followed with a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. Holke came up and crushed a line drive single through the left side to score Barrera and LaMore. Gordon cut Rockford's lead down to one in the bottom of the eigth inning with a two-out single followed by a RBI double but the runner, trying for third base, was thrown out by Holke. Rigg would finish Gordon off in the ninth inning to earn his first win of the season.
Rockford has an off-day tomorrow. They have an early 10:00 a.m. CST game against Becker College on Wednesday and then later play Rhodes College at 4:00 p.m. CST.
