LOVES PARK, Ill. - Saturday was a huge day for the Rockford University baseball team when it hosted the Aurora University Spartans. Fighting for their playoff lives, the Regents rose to occasion with an impressive sweep of the Spartans by finals of 9-7 and 4-3 in dramatic fashion.
The opening game appeared as though Rockford would win going away as the Regents scored early and often. Rockford first broke through in the third inning with a trio of runs. Seniors Scott Swiderek (Chicago, Ill./Walter Lutheran) and Jacob Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill./Jefferson) began the inning with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no outs. After a balk advanced both runners 90 feet, fellow senior Joe Rigg (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) delivered his first big hit of the day with a 2-run single down the right field. A few batters later senior Chris Senn (Victorville, Calif./Silverado) doubled in Rigg and gave the Regents a 3-1 lead.
Rockford further extended its lead in the fourth inning again from the combination of Rigg and Senn. Rigg used his speed to get himself into scoring position with a bunt single and then stole second base. Following a sacrifice bunt which moved Rigg to third base, Senn then knocked in Rigg with a sacrifice fly.
Over the next couple of innings it seemed as though the Regents had put the game away as they scored a total of five more runs to extend their lead to 9-1. It was once again Rigg who was at the center of the scoring. He drove in the first run of the fifth inning on an RBI fielder's choice leaving Rockford with runners on the corners and two outs. The Regents then made it a 7-1 lead thanks to a fielding error that allowed Swiderek to score from third base and then a throwing error which allowed Rigg to score all the way from first base. Rockford extended its lead to 9-1 the very next inning by taking advantage of a pair of Spartan errors.
However, the Spartans rallied to make things interesting in the top of the ninth inning. Aurora used 6 hits and took advantage of 2 Rockford errors to score 6 runs and pull within two with runners on second and third and two outs. Sophomore Michael Murray (Princeton, Ill./Princeton) was able to induce a game-ending groundout to earn his second save of the season.
Senior pitcher Kyle Pisano (Peru, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) tossed an excellent game en route to his fifth win of the season. Pisano was masterful on the mound through eight innings giving up just one unearned run before running into some trouble in the ninth. The senior finished throwing 8.1 innnings while surrendering 3 earned runs with 4 strikeouts and no walks.
Game two was a complete 180 from game one as Rockford struggled out the gates and had to play from behind. Aurora struck for two runs in the first inning and another in the fourth to build an early 3-0 lead. The Rockford offense was nonexistent through the first six innings as the Regents were held without a hit. However the tides would turn in Rockford's favor in the bottom of the seventh inning. Senior Chris Holke (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) led off the inning with a single into right field to break up the no-hitter. After a pair of walks loaded the bases with no one out, Jake McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill./Stillman Valley) drove in Rockford's first run of the game and reached base courtesy of an Aurora fielding error. Senior Adrian Gameros (Rialto, Calif./Carter) inched the Regents closer with a sacrifice fly making it just a one-run game. Following a walk and a strikeout, senior Kyle LaMore (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley) stepped to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and perhaps the season on the line. With the count 1-1, LaMore laced the ball back up the middle into center field scoring two runs and giving Rockford its first lead of the game at 4-3. Senior pitcher Kaleb Rich (Washington, Iowa/Washington) would close out the game for Rockford retiring the final 10 Spartan batters and secure the sweep.
Rich was absolutely brilliant on the mound and got stronger as the game went along. The senior shutout the Spartans over the final five innings and surrendered just one hit in the final four innings of the game. Rich threw his second straight complete game going all nine innings. He gave up just 3 runs while striking out 6 and walking none.
With today's wins, Rockford moved into a tie for third place in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference. The Regents look to continue their ascent up the NACC standings on Sunday when they travel to Benedictine University. The doubleheader is set to begin at noon.
