CAROL STREAM, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team played its first game in the state of Illinois on Thursday night when the Regents traveled south to take on the Wheaton College Thunder. Rockford was in control the entire game as the Regents pounded out 12 hits and 14 runs to cruise the easy 14-1 win.

The Rockford offense got the scoring started early as it put 6 runs on the board in the first two innings. Center fielder Robert Smith (Bartlett, Ill.) led off the game with a double giving the Regents an early scoring opportunity. Four batters later Evan Frantini (Morris, Ill.) singled into left field scoring Smith and giving Rockford a 1-0 lead after an inning of play. The Regents essentially put the game away in the second inning as they scored 5 runs on 5 hits to grab a quick 6-0 lead. Following a leadoff single by Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill.), senior Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill.) laced an RBI triple into left center field making it a 2-0 game. Barrera would score one batter later on a sacrifice fly. The Rockford offense was not done yet as two batter later Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill.) kept the inning alive with a 2-out single and then scored off a Kevin Robinson (Schaumburg, Ill.) single down the left field line. A couple of batters later Evan Frantini capped off the inning with a 2-run double putting Rockford out in front 6-0. 

Rockford kept the pressure on the Thunder scoring runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Bobby Barrera drove in his second run of the game with a two-out RBI single into left field putting runners on the corners and giving Rockford a 7-1 lead. The Regents then executed a double steal to perfection tacking on another run. Two innings later Rockford put together its second 5-run inning of the evening. The Regents began the seventh inning by loading the bases off two hit batsman and a walk for the top of their order. Robert Smith took advantage with an RBI single before junior Cole Logemann cleared the bases with a 3-run double. A couple of batter later, Nick Naber (Rockford, Ill.) recorded a sacrifice fly for the second consecutive inning to score Logemann and secure the 14-1 victory.

Pitcher Michael Murray (Princeton, Ill.) continued his hot start to the season as the right-hander picked up his third win of the year. Murray tossed 5 innings and surrendered just 1 earned run on 4 hits while striking out 2. The junior was never really in any serious trouble as he retired 10 of the final 11 batters he faced. Sophomore David Camacho (Elk Grove, Ill.) finished the game throwing the final two innings surrendering no runs while striking out 5 batters. 

The baseball team returns to the diamond on Saturday, March 21 at Augustana College. First pitch of the doubleheader is slated for 1:00 PM.