LOVES PARK, Ill.- The Rockford University baseball team played its final regular season conference series Friday afternoon. The Regents, needing a two game sweep and help to secure the final conference tournament spot, faced the Marian University Sabres. It would not be an easy task. The Sabres came into the series second in conference with a 15-3 record and a 20-17 overall record.
The Regents found themselves in a quick hole in game one. Marian's leadoff hitter singled to start the game and he eventually came around to score on a two out single up the middle. Marian scored two more two out runs in the top of the third inning off of Rockford's starter Adam O'Malley (Elk Grove, Ill.). O'Malley struck out the first batter of the inning then gave up a double and he followed that up with another strike out. Three straight two out hits resulted in two more runs in the inning and Rockford being down 3-0 going into the bottom of the third inning.
Rockford struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning with four straight hits to start the inning.Brian Wiest (Lake Zurich, Ill.) started the rally with a single. Connor McHugh (Schaumburg, Ill.) followed with another single. Evan Frantini (Morris, Ill.) loaded the bases with a bunt single to put the pressure on Marian's pitching and defense.
Eric Gnippe (Hinsdale, Ill.), who came in the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the fourth inning, came up clutch and drilled a double off of the left field wall. All three runners came around to score to tie the game up at three. After a hit-by-pitch and a single, the Regents loaded the bases once again. A fly out ended the inning and Rockford could not capitalize and take the lead.
Both teams threatened to score in the next three innings, but the score held at three all until the top of the seventh inning. The first batter of the inning was hit by a pitch, but he was forced out on second on a failed bunt attempt by the next batter. A walk then put two men on with one out. The next batter hit a potential inning ending double play ball, but Rockford could not field the ball cleanly and the error resulted in the bases becoming loaded. It also forced O'Malley out of the game and brought in reliever David Camacho (Elk Grove, Ill.).
On the first batter, Camacho induced another potential inning ending double play ground ball, but Rockford was not able to complete the turn and the go ahead run scored on the force out at second. Camacho struck out the next batter swinging to limit the damage. In the bottom half of the seventh inning, Rockford put two men on with one out. The Regents could not tie it up and the inning ending on a double play ground ball to shortstop.
Marian added two more unearned runs in the top of the seventh inning. The Sabres started the inning with a single and then added another runner after Rockford made an error on a bunt. After the error, freshman Nathan Mulzer (Neenah, Wis.) came into the game in relief of Camacho. During the next at bat, a passed ball put both runners in scoring position. Marian made it hurt with a two run double down the left field line to go ahead 6-3. Mulzer stranded that runner on second base by getting back-to-back ground outs. In the bottom half of the inning, Rockford left another runner stranded in scoring position.
In the top of the eighth inning the Sabres once again tacked on an unearned run. A throwing error with two outs resulted in a run coming around to score and Marian pushing its lead to four at 7-3. Rockford could not rally and dropped game one 7-3. The loss pushed them out of the conference tournament race.
O'Malley was again a touch luck loser. He pitched six and a third innings, giving up four total runs with three being earned. He struck out eight batters and gave up nine hits. Wiest and Robert Smith (Bartlett, Ill.) both finished with two hits. McHugh went 3-for-5 with a run. Gnippe knocked in all three runs for Rockford.
On the mound to start the game was Michael Murray (Princeton, Ill.). Marian started quick again in game two with two runs in the top of the first, one of those included another unearned run. Rockford answered right away in their first at bat. Smith singled to start the inning and Cole Logemann (Lena, Ill.) followed with a double down the left field line. Wiest ground out to shortstop to drive in Smith for the Regents first run of the game. McHugh kept things going by singling past the first baseman to score Logemann and tie the game up at two.
Marian's bats stayed hot and tacked on five more runs in the top of the second to go ahead 7-2. The Sabres added another run in the third to push their lead to six. The Regents bats found their groove in the bottom of the fifth inning. Wiest started another rally with a one out single. McHugh, Mitchell Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill.), and Bobby Barrera (Waukegan, Ill.) all followed with singles. Wiest scored on McHugh's single. Gnippe kept things going with another single, which scored McHugh. Rockford lined into a double play to end the rally. Marian added four more in the sixth to go ahead 12-4.
The scoring continued in the bottom of the seventh inning. Rockford loaded the bases with no outs and Barrera walked to score the Regents six run of the game. Jacob McKnight (Monroe Center, Ill.) was next and he reached base on catcher's interference to put the score at 12-6 Marian. Frantini reached on an infield single and another run scored. Smith walked in another run to keep the rally going and put the score at 12-8.
The Sabres finally got the second out of the inning on a fielder's choice ground out by Logemann, but Rockford scored their fifth run of the inning. In his second at bat of the inning, Wiest finished off the rally with a single to left to drive in Smith and put Rockford within two runs at 12-10.
Marian offense kept going with another run in the top of eighth to go up 13-10. They added another run on a home run in the top of the ninth. That would be the final scoring as the Sabres out lasted the Regents 14-10. Rockford finished with 17 hits as a team and five different Regents finished with two or more hits.
Wiest and McHugh both finish 4-for-6 with two runs. Wiest had two RBI and McHugh had one. Barrera, Gnippe, and Smith all finished with two hits. The first eight hitters in Rockford's lineup had at least one RBI.
