AUBURNDALE, FLA.- After scoring eight runs in the second game of yesterdays double-header, the Rockford University baseball team looked to keep its bats hot against the Wartburg College Knights (1-3), who began the season ranked 21st in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper preseason poll. The game was close throughout the afternoon and a couple of key plays decided the game in favor of Wartburg's 4 to Rockford's 0.
Thus far on Rockford's spring trip the Regents have received strong performances from their starting pitchers and overall the staff had a 2.00 earned run average in 27 innings coming into today's game. Kyle Pisano (Chicago, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) looked to continue the staffs strong pitching as he started on the mound for the Regents against the Knights. Both team's pitchers put up zeros through the first three innings of the game and each worked out of a jam. Pisano allowed a lead-off walk but the runner was caught stealing a batter later. Rockford also recorded a walk in the first inning but that runner was also cut down on the bases, this time by a pick-off. The Regents put some two-out pressure on the Knights in the second inning following a Scott Swiderek (Chicago, Ill./Walter Lutheran) single and a walk to Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan). But Wartburg's pitcher struck out the next batter to end the threat. Pisano got himself out of a jam in the bottom half of the inning after allowing a lead-off walk followed by a hit batter. The next batter flied out to left field and then Pisano picked-off the runner on second base. He then struck out the next batter to end the inning and the threat.
Wartburg was able to put the first run on the scoreboard after their lead-off hitter in the fourth inning reach base via a hit-by-pitch. After advancing to second on a wild pitch he came around to score on a Regents fielding error. Rockford's bats continued to struggle while Wartburg's started to heat up in the sixth inning. Barrera made a great play at shortstop, snagging a grounder up the middle but the runner beat out his off-balance throw to first base. After Pisano recorded a strike-out the Knights had back-to-back hits, the second one being a two-run double. Barrera then made another great play by making a diving catch on a sinking line-drive to his right to end the inning.
Rockford mounted a rally in the top of the seventh inning. Chris Senn (Apple Valley, Calif./Silverado) and Chris Holke (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) started the inning off with back-to-back line-drive singles. A sacrifice bunt moved them over and after the next batter was hit by a pitch the Regents had the bases loaded with one out. They could not capitalize though as the next Regent batter hit into a fielder's choice and Senn was cut down at home. Wartburg then got out of the inning with a fly ball to right field. The Knights would tack on another run in the eigth inning and Rockford was only able to get one more runner on base in the last two innings. Despite the loss Pisano pitched well; going six innings and giving up six hits, one walk, two earned runs, while striking out five.
Rockford continues its spring trip tomorrow with two games. The first game is slated for an 11:00 a.m. start and the second game is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m., both are central times. The first game is against Penn-St. Abington and the second game is against Gordon College.
