MEQUON, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team dropped a road doubleheader on Sunday to the Concordia University Wisconsin Falcons. In each game the Regents were able to score first, but unfortunately Rockford was unable to hold either lead as the Falcons scored late in both games to secure a 3-2 win and a 9-3 win.
The opening game of the day got off to a great start as the Regents scored two runs in the first inning. Following an error to begin the game, sophomore Bryce Hinkelman (Ottawa, Ill.) continued his hot hitting lacing a single through the left side of the infield giving Rockford runners on the corners with no one out. One batter later, Evan Frantini (Coal City, Ill.) ripped an RBI single into left field as the Regents jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead. Rockford would extend its lead later in the inning when Andrew Hunt (Apple Valley, Calif.) used a sacrifice fly to score Hinkelman and put the Regents up 2-0 after one inning of play.
Rockford was unable to add to its lead the remainder of the game, so it was up to pitching and defense to try and hold on for the victory. Unfortunately the Falcons would take advantage of a Regent error in the third to score a pair of runs and tie the game at 2-2. The game remained tied until the eighth when again Concordia Wisconsin capitalized off a Rockford miscue in the field to score what turned out to be the winning run. The Regents were unable to answer in the ninth as the Falcons held on for a 3-2 win.
Junior David Camacho (Elk Grove, Ill.) turned in yet another quality start for Rockford. Camacho tossed all eight innings to earn his first complete game of the season. The junior struck out 8 Falcon hitters and allowed just one earned run lowering his season earned run average to 2.93.
Game two was a pitchers' duel for much of the afternoon as both teams were held scoreless through four innings. In the top of the fifth inning the Regents used one hit and took advantage of two Falcon errors to score the first run of the game. Patrick O'Malley (Elk Grove, Ill.) led off the inning with a single and then worked his way to third base with just one out. A couple of batters later, Rockford capitalized on a Falcon error to break the scoreless tie and take a 1-0 lead.
Rockford extended its lead to 3-0 with a two-run seventh inning. Junior Mitchell Gorsuch (Cherry Valley, Ill.) began the inning by crushing his first collegiate home run to give the Regents a 2-0 lead. Britton Seivert (Rockford, Ill.) and Patrick O'Malley followed with a walk and a single with no one out as the Regents threatened to blow the game wide open. However, Rockford was only able to scratch across one more run as the Regents scored on a wild pitch.
Unfortunately things began to go south over the next two innings. Concordia Wisconsin scored 9 combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings off 8 hits and 4 Rockford errors. The Regents were unable to recover in the ninth as they dropped game two by a 9-3 final.
Starting pitcher Thomas Bolen (Tucson, Ariz.) pitched very well for much of his outing. Bolen went 6 innings allowing just 2 earned runs off 4 hits while striking out 5.
The RU baseball team returns to diamond on Tuesday, April 19 at Marian University. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4:00 PM.
