SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - Following a weekend of postponements, the Rockford University baseball team opened the NACC portion of its schedule on Monday evening with a doubleheader at Dominican University. The Regents looked sharp in an 8-2 win in the opener and also currently have a 3-1 lead in game two which has been postponed to a later date due to lightning.
Rockford appeared to be clicking on all cylinders as it never trailed in its 8-2 win in game one. Following three innings of scoreless play, the Regents used a four-run fourth inning to seize control of the game. Seniors Chris Senn (Victorville, Calif./Silverado) and Terry Wiltshire (Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge) jump-started the inning with back-to-back singles to place runners on first and second with no outs. After a walk loaded the bases, Connor McHugh (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Schaumburg) drove in the first run of the game on an RBI fielder's choice. Adrian Gameros (Rialto, Calif./Carter) and Jake McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill./Stillman Valley) then made it a 3-0 Rockford advantage when each delivered an RBI single. Rockford's final run of the inning came on an infield fly making it a 4-0 game.
The Regents then extended their lead with two more runs in the sixth and one in the seventh. In the sixth, Rockford used patience at the plate to draw three walks combined with a single and sacrifice fly to score its two runs. In the seventh it was back-to-back doubles off the bats of Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) and Conner McHugh that pushed the Regents lead to 7-1. Rockford would add an insurance run in the ninth en route to an 8-2 win.
Rockford senior pitcher Kaleb Rich (Washington, Iowa/Washington) needed very little run support Monday as he was brilliant on the mound. Rich tossed 7 strong innings surrendering just one run off five hits while striking out two.
James Northrup (Rockford, Ill./Winnebago) threw the final two innings of the game giving up one run on one hit and striking out two.
The second game of the doubleheader saw multiple lightning delays before it was ultimately postponed. The game was stopped in the bottom of the fourth inning with two outs and a runner on first base with Rockford leading 3-1.
Seniors Chris Holke (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) and Kyle LaMore (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley) drove in all three runs for Rockford. Holke got the scoring started in the top of the first inning with a clutch two-out RBI single driving in Senn and giving the Regents a quick 1-0 lead. LaMore added to that lead by crushing a 2-run home run, his third of the season, in the top of the second pushing Rockford's lead to 3-0. The Stars would add a run of their in the bottom of the second inning before the game was postponed a couple of innings later with the Regents holding a 3-1 advantage.
The Regents baseball team returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 1st for its home opener against Edgewood College. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. at Aviators Stadium.
