LOVES PARK, Ill. - The Regents baseball team headed to the field on Monday afternoon looking to snap its 4-game losing streak when it played host to the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors. Rockford wasted little time jumping all over the Warriors in the opener as the Regents cruised to a relatively easy 7-1 win. However, game two was a complete 180 as this time is was the Warriors who were in control nearly the entire game and coasted to a 7-0 win.
Junior right-hander Michael Murray (Princeton, Ill.) took the mound for the Regents in game one on Monday. Murray has been Rockford's ace all season long and he showed exactly why as frustrated the Warrior offense all game long. The junior tossed 8 innings allowing just 1 run on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking none. Murray currently leads the NACC in wins (5) and ERA (0.49) and is third in strikeouts (31).
Offensively Rockford used a 4-run second inning to grab an early 4-0 lead. Evan Frantini (Morris, Ill.) and Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill.) jumpstarted the Regents with a single and a double to place runners on second and third with just one out. Following a walk and an RBI groundout, Robert Smith (Bartlett, Ill.) made it a 2-0 Rockford advantage with an infield single to shortstop. One batter later, Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill.) laced a 2-run single into left center field to cap off the inning and give his team a quick 4-0 lead.
Following a pair of scoreless innings, Rockford would extend its lead in the fifth with two more runs. Robert Smith began the inning with his second hit of the day when he ripped a single through the right side of the infield. Smith would then advance to second on a passed ball, move to third on a Logemann single and score on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Evan Frantini further extended Rockford's lead when he singled into left field scoring Logemann and making it a 6-1 game.
It would remain 6-1 until Rockford added one final run in the top of the ninth inning. Following a Barrera walk and a wild pitch, junior Robert Smith knocked in his second run of the game with an RBI single into right center field for his third hit of the game. Sophomore David Camacho (Elk Grove, Ill.) came in and tossed a scoreless bottom of the ninth to secure the 7-1 win for Rockford.
Despite its impressive performance in the opener, Rockford was unable to capture a series sweep as the Regents were shutout in game two. Offensively Rockford struggled to sustain any momentum it built as the Regents hit into 4 double plays killing any attempt a rally. Junior Robert Smith played very well in the loss as he put together his second straight 3-hit, 2-steal performance. Out of the bullpen it was fellow junior Josh Cooper (Yorkville, Ill.) who had a strong outing. Cooper threw 1.2 innings of scoreless relief surrendering just one hit and walking none.
The Regents will have four days off before returning to field on Saturday, April 11 at Concordia University Wisconsin. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 PM.
