FORT MYERS, Ill.- First up Tuesday afternoon for the Rockford University baseball team was the Haverford College Fords. A late rally decided the game after both teams scored in the first inning. Later that night, the Regents faced the Eastern Nazarene College Lions. Both games were hard fought and were decided by a combined three runs. Rockford found itself ahead early in both games, but needed late rally's in each game to secure the win.
Game one between Haverford and Rockford featured fast starts for both teams. Haverford's leadoff batter reached on an error and scored two batters later on a hit-and-run double to right field. Rockford answered in the bottom half of the inning. Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill.) started things off with a one out walk. He later stole second and scored on a double by Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill.). Wiest came around to score after the next batter Nick Naber (Rockford, Ill.) singled to center.
Rockford's starting pitcher Adam O'Malley (Elk Grove, Ill.), who picked up his first career win in relief a few days ago, shutdown the Ford's offense for the next four innings. Rockford could not extend its lead during that time. Haverford finally got to O'Malley again in the sixth inning after a couple of Regent errors.
With the game tied up at two heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Regents looked to start a rally and take the lead. Naber started things with a one out single. Jacob McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill.) followed with a walk. Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill.) came up clutch once again and drove in the go ahead run with a single to left. An errand throw on the play allowed both runners to move into scoring position. Josh Cooper (Yorkville, Ill.) continued his clutch late inning hitting by hitting a two run single to left field.
O'Malley had shutout Haverford for most of the game but they would get to him again in the top of the eighth inning. A hit-by-pitch with two outs followed by a single and a walk loaded the bases for the Fords. O'Malley then hit another batter to force in a run. He limited the damage by striking out the next batter to preserve a two-run lead. Rockford was set down in order in the bottom half of the inning and O'Malley came out to attempt to finish his first career collegiate game. He worked around a leadoff walk to finish out the game and give Rockford a 5-3 win.
With six games in three days, Rockford needed a pitcher to step up and eat up some innings and that is just what O'Malley did and more. He gave up just one earned run on two hits and two walks. He struck out seven to earn his second win of the season. The big blows came from Barrera and Cooper's bats in the three-run seventh inning.
Game two on the day for Rockford was against Eastern Nazarene and the game would not be so clean, but it would feature another strong performance by a young Regent pitcher and another Regent comeback. Eastern Nazarene got on the board first after a passed ball allowed a run to score. Rockford answered in the top half of the second inning with three runs, all without getting a hit. Three straight walks starting with Cooper, then Seth Dascher (Lena, Ill.), and then Barrera loaded the bases with no outs. Another walk to Kraemer Brandt (Elk Grove, Ill.) forced in the tying run. A sacrifice fly by Robert Smith (Bartlett, Ill.) tacked on another run and a wild pitch added a third run.
The Lions scored another run in the bottom half of the second after Regents starter Taggart Venegas (Spring Valley, Ill.) gave up a walk and two straight hits with two outs. Eastern Nazarene scored two more runs the next inning to take a 4-3 lead. David Camacho (Elk Grove, Ill.) came in the fourth inning and threw three straight scoreless innings.
Rockford tied the game up in the sixth thanks to a RBI triple by Logemann. The Regents added two more runs in the top of the seventh after Naber singled and Cooper walked with one out. Evan Frantini (Morris, Ill.) walked to load the bases for Barrera. A wild pitch scored Naber and then Barrera shortly afterward drove in Frantini with a sacrifice fly to right field. But the Lions answered again with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Momentum had swung back-and-forth all game and heading into the eighth inning the Regents looked to take it back. Logemann walked with one out and later stole second to put himself in scoring position. Naber came up clutch again with another RBI single to centerfield to put Rockford up 7-6. Camacho stranded a runner in scoring position in the bottom half of the inning. He allowed a leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth but bared down after that. A groundout advanced the runner into scoring position and a two-out wild pitch put the tying run 90 feet away. After an intentional walk, Camacho went to 3-1 on the Lions number two hitter. He then threw two strikes to strike out the batter looking to end the game and give Rockford the 7-6 victory.
Naber went 3-for-5 with a triple, a run, and the game winning hit. Logemann went 1-for-2 with three walks, a stolen base, and an RBI triple. In earning his first career win, Camacho went six strong innings out of the pen. He gave up four hits, three walks, one earned run, and struck out eight batters. As a team Rockford walked 12 times.
Rockford has an off day tomorrow before returning to the field for a game on Thursday against The College of Wooster at 11:00 a.m. CST and a 5:00 p.m. CST game against Millikin University.
