LOVES PARK, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team kicked off NACC play on Monday with a pair of impressive wins over the Dominican University Stars. Rockford won the opening game with a strong pitching performance from Michael Murray (Princeton, Ill.) and timely scoring from the Regents offense. In the second game, Rockford was in command from the very beginning scoring 13 runs on 17 hits while getting yet another dominant pitching performance this time from freshman Adam O'Malley (Elk Grove, Ill.).
Murray continued his dominant season on the mound with another outstanding effort on Tuesday. The junior tossed his second complete game of the season and his first complete game shutout as a Regent. He only found himself in trouble on a couple of occasions as the right-hander scattered seven hits while striking out three.
One of the early turning points in the game came in the top of the fourth when Dominican had runners on second and third with just one out. However, Murray was able to stifle the Dominican rally with a foul out and a fly out.
The Regents then went on to score a run in the bottom of the inning to take a 1-0 lead. Nick Naber (Rockford, Ill.) got the offense started with a leadoff single into left field. Following an errant throw on a pickoff attempt which allowed him to advance to third, Naber then scored the first run of the game on a wild pitch.
Rockford would tack on a pair of runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth to build its lead to 4-0. The Regents scored their second run after Robert Smith (Bartlett, Ill.), Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill.) and Nick Naber strung together back-to-back-to-back two-out singles. After a fielding error by Dominican gave the Regents their third run of the game, one inning later, senior Bobby Barrera manufactured Rockford's final run of the afternoon. Barrera ripped a one-out double down the left field line, then stole third base and scored on a throwing error by the catcher.
Dominican made one final push in the ninth inning to try and cut into the Rockford lead. The Stars placed a pair of runners on base with just one out and had the top of its order coming to the plate. However, Murray was able to induce a pair of groundouts to end the threat and secure the 4-0 Rockford win.
Following a hard-fought win the opening game, Rockford wasted little time jumping all over Dominican in game two. The Regents scored multiple runs in each of the first four innings to grab a quick 10-0 lead.
Robert Smith got his team off to a great start as he led off the bottom of the first inning with double into left center field. Two batters later, Smith stole third and then scored off a Nick Naber single up the middle. Junior Evan Frantini (Morris, Ill.) then tripled into left center, scoring Naber and giving Rockford a 2-0 lead.
The Regents continued their offensive onslaught in the second inning with a trio of runs. Mitchell Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill.) began the inning with double into deep left center field and then advanced to third on a Jacob McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill.) single. Seth Dascher (Lena, Ill.) and Robert Smith each followed suit with singles of their own while driving in a combined three runs to give Rockford a 5-0 advantage.
Rockford kept the pressure on Dominican as it added a pair of runs in the third and three more runs in the fourth. After singles by Frantini and Barrera, Gorsuch drove in his first run of the day on an RBI single into right center. McKnight then made it a 7-0 Rockford lead with a sacrifice fly. One inning later, Gorsuch drove in his second run in as many innings as he drew a one-out bases loaded walk. McKnight followed suit driving in his second run of the game with an RBI single down the right field line. Rockford then took a 10-0 lead on a Seth Dascher sacrifice fly into center field.
The game remained 10-0 until the bottom of the sixth when Kevin Robinson (Schaumburg, Ill.) cleared the bases with a 3-run double into the left field corner giving his team a commanding 13-0 lead.
Freshman pitcher Adam O'Malley got more than enough run support as he was in control the entire game. O'Malley tossed his second complete game of the season while recording the first complete game shutout of his collegiate career. The right-hander had the Stars off balance the entire evening as he surrendered just four hits while striking out a trio of batters. The freshman was never really in any serious trouble and at one point retired eight straight hitters en route to his third win of the year.
Rockford will look to keep its perfect NACC record intact when it hits the road on Wednesday, April 1 to face the Edgewood College Eagles. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4:00 p.m. in Verona Wis.
