LOVES PARK, Ill-The Rockford University baseball team returned to action Wednesday to take on Carthage College looking to improve their record back to .500 overall and earn their 14th victory. The Regents pounded the ball all day to earn that victory and move to 14-14 overall. Rockford won by the final of 14-10.
Taking the mound for the Regents was Cody Gustafson (Elk Grove, Ill.) who lasted 2 1/3 innings before giving way to Nickolas Hutten (Mundelein, Ill.) who completed 1 2/3 innings to earn his first win of the season and first of his collegiate career. Following Hutten was Bobby Treadwell (Genoa, Ill.) who lasted 2 innings before giving way to Ben Kolkmeyer (Belvidere, Ill.) who threw 1 2/3 innings allowing 0 runs on 3 hits and striking out 1. Entering the game to earn the save was Tyler Joyce (Rochelle, Ill.) throwing the final 1 1/3 innings allowing 0 runs on 0 hits while striking out 3. He earned his first save of the season and the first of his collegiate career.
Offensively, the Regents crushed the ball at the plate finishing with 14 runs on 15 hits. They also showed their patience at the plate with 8 walks in the game. Rockford scored in four innings, including eight in the fourth inning.
The Regents had many scoring opportunities with their first coming in the first inning when Andrew Hunt (Apple Valley, Calif.) singled through the left side of the infield to plate Robert Smith (Bartlett, Ill.) from second base. After a Kyle Rothrock (Utica, Ill.) walk to load the bases, Eric Gnippe (Hinsdale, Ill.) hit a two-run single up the middle to bring in Patrick O'Malley (Elk Grove, Ill.) and Hunt. Rockford tallied all three of those runs to respond to Carthage scoring three in the top half of the inning. Again after the Red Men scored a run, the Regents responded with a run of their own as O'Malley bunted into a fielder's choice to bring in Smith from third base.
In the fourth inning Rockford added several runs as an error allowed two runs to score to begin the scoring. After a hit by pitch, Chris Carlson (Schaumburg, Ill.) singled through the left side to drive in Hunt from third base. Next up was Josh Cooper (Yorkville, Ill.) who smoked a single into center field to plate Rothrock. After a bases loaded wild pitch allowed another run to score, Smith laced a single into left field to bring in both Carlson and Cooper. After a double play, Evan Frantini (Coal City, Ill.) smashed a double into the right-center gap to drive in Kraemer Brandt (Elk Grove, Ill.) from third base. However, Frantini was thrown out on the play trying to stretch the hit into a triple to end the bottom half of the inning for Rockford. The Regents added on two insurance runs in the seventh inning to give the pitching more than enough support to finish the game off and earn the victory. Rockford prevailed by the final of 14-10.
Playing well for the Regents was Hunt who went 5-for-5 with 3 runs scored, an RBI single and a walk. Carlson went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI's, a run scored and 2 walks. Smith finished 3-for-6 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI's. Gnippe added a two-run single. O'Malley finished with 2 walks, 2 runs scored and an RBI. Brandt reached base in 4 of his 5 plate appearances with 1 walk and 3 hit by pitches, tying the school record for hit by pitches in a game.
The Rockford University baseball team returns to action Saturday, April 23 against Concordia University Chicago in River Forest, Ill. with a scheduled start time of 12 p.m.
