FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team entered Saturday's doubleheader at Marian University needing a sweep in order to earn a berth in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. The Regents were up to that task as they won both games in convincing fashion 8-3 and 7-2.
Rockford got on the board first in the opener with a single run in the top of the second inning. With two outs and the bases empty, senior Matt Grimes (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) singled into right field to start the Rockford rally. Grimes then proceeded to steal second and would later score on a Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) RBI single to center field giving the Regents a 1-0 lead. It was a short-lived lead though as Marian scored a pair of unearned runs in the bottom half of the inning to grab a 2-1 advantage.
The Regents would not trail for long though as Rockford tied the game in the top of third and then regained the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Just as the Sabres did a half-inning prior, the Regents took advantage of a Marian error to tie the game at 2-2 after three innings. In the top of the fourth inning Rockford loaded the bases with one out for Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill./Lena-Winslow) who delivered an RBI single into right field to give his team a 3-2 lead. Junior Connor McHugh (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Schaumburg) then made it a 4-2 advantage for the Regents with an RBI groundout.
Marian scored its final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth before Rockford put the game away a couple of innings later. Once again it was a two-out rally that sparked the Regents' offense. In the top of the seventh inning, Rockford loaded the bases courtesy of singles by Chris Holke (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) and Brian Wiest and a Matt Grimes hit by pitch. Sophomore Jake McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill./Stillman Valley) then delivered the big hit of the inning with a 2-run single into right center field putting the Regents up 6-3. One inning later Rockford sealed the win when it tacked on two more runs off a Connor McHugh RBI single and a Chris Holke sacrifice fly for the 8-3 victory.
Senior pitcher Kyle Pisano (Peru, Ill./LaSalle-Peru) was once again outstanding on the mound in the final regular season start of his collegiate career. Pisano threw 8 innings surrendering just 1 earned run while striking out 6. The senior earned his sixth win of the year and lowered his season earned run average to 1.52.
After winning the opener, Rockford knew it still had two win one more game in order to grab the sixth and final spot in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. However, game two was never really in doubt as the Regents used another stellar pitching performance coupled with timely hitting for an easy 7-2 win.
Senior pitcher Kaleb Rich (Washington, Iowa/Washington) tossed probably his best game of the season in arguably the most important game of the year. Rich had the Sabres off balance the entire day and only allowed one Marian base runner to reach third base during his outing. The senior threw 8 shutout innings allowing just two hits while striking out 8. With the win, Rich improves to 6-1 on the season and lowers his earned run average to 2.04.
Offensively the Regents first got on the scoreboard in the top of the third inning. Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan) and Chris Senn (Victorville, Calif./Silverado) each singled giving Rockford a pair of base runners with two outs. Senior catcher Terry Wiltshire (Elizabeth, Ill./River Ridge) then promptly gave his team a 2-0 lead with a 2-run double down the right field line.
Rockford continued to build upon its lead with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings and then put the game away with a 3-run eighth inning. In the fifth inning, it was a one-out single off the bat of Cole Logemann that got the Rockford offense started. Two batters later, Chris Senn made it a 3-0 game with an RBI single back up the middle into center field. The seventh inning followed a similar pattern as it was Logemann who once again jump-started the offense this time with a 2-out single. Connor McHugh then followed suit with a single of his own before Chris Senn, for the second straight at bat, drove in Logemann giving the Regents a 4-0 advantage. In the eighth inning the Regents sealed the victory with a trio of runs. Jacob Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill./Jefferson), Bobby Barrera and Cole Logemann each drove in a run with an RBI single making it a 7-0 game. Marian would score a pair of meaningless runs in the bottom of the ninth as the Regents cruised to a 7-2 victory and a berth in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament.
Rockford will play in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday, May 8th against the top seeded Concordia University Chicago Cougars. First pitch of the game is set for 10:00 a.m. If the Regents win that game, they will play again later in the day at 7:00 p.m. against the loser of the Concordia Wisconsin and Edgewood game. If Rockford loses its first game, it will not play again until Friday, May 9th. Concordia University Wisconsin is the host of the NACC Tournament and all games will be played in Mequon, Wis. at Kapco Park.
