ELMHURST, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team appears as though it may have broken out of its offensive slump on Wednesday afternoon on the road against Elmhurst College. After scoring one run or less in two of its previous four games, Rockford exploded for 11 runs on 13 hits to earn back-to-back wins for the first time since April 12th.
The Rockford offense got started early by scoring a pair of runs in the second inning to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead. Terry Wiltshire (Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge), Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill./Lena-Winslow) and Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) each singled to begin the inning and load the bases with just one out. Senior Jacob Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill./Jefferson) then knocked in the first run of the game with the Regents' fourth single of the inning. Rockford added one more run when Jake McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill./Stillman Valley) hit a sacrifice fly into right field putting giving his team a 2-0 lead.
The game then swung in Elmhurst's favor as the Bluejays tied the game with two runs in the bottom of the third and then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Elmhurst would hold onto the lead until Rockford broke the game wide open in the seventh and eight innings scoring a combined 9 runs.
The Regents used a patient approach at the plate and took advantage of Bluejay miscues to start their rally. Rockford capitalized off an error and two walks to load the bases with two outs before Chris Senn (Victorville, Calif./Silverado) was hit by a pitch to tie the game at 3-3. The Regents regained the lead one batter latter when Terry Wiltshire laced a two-run single into center field giving Rockford a 5-3 advantage.
Rockford then put the game away with a six-run eighth inning. Sophomore Cole Logemann began the inning with a double. The Regents then loaded the bases with one out following an error and a walk. Each of the next six Rockford hitters then proceeded to drive in a run. Scott Swiderek (Chicago, Ill./Walter Lutheran), Terry Wiltshire, Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) and Cole Logemann each had an RBI single while Connor McHugh (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Schaumburg) and Chris Senn also collected one RBI apiece courtesy of a walk and sacrifice fly respectively.
Just when it seemed Rockford would cruise to an easy win, Elmhurst mounted a furious rally in the bottom of the eighth inning. Following four Bluejay runs and runners on the corners with just one out, Rockford turned to sophomore pitcher Michael Murray (Princeton, Ill./Princeton) to end the threat. After an error allowed another runner to score and make it an 11-8 game, Murray proceeded to strike out the next two batters to end the inning. The sophomore continued his dominance in the ninth striking out a pair of Bluejays and retiring the side in order to earn his first save of the season.
Senior pitchers Zach Liberatore (Plainfield, Ill./Central) and Eric Miller (Cudahy, Wis./Cudahy) combined to give Rockford seven strong innings of work on the mound. Liberatore started the game going five innings surrendering three runs while striking out two. Miller then tossed two shutout innings giving up just one hit en route to his first win of the season.
The Rockford University baseball team returns to action tomorrow, April 24th, at Augustana College. First pitch of the single game is set for 7:00 p.m.
