FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Rockford University baseball team (3-6) played its final game during its spring trip to the Sunshine State on Saturday morning when they faced off against the University of Pittsburg Bradford Panthers (7-3). The two teams faced off twice already earlier on the trip, with each team stealing a game. Neither team would budge in the third and final meeting as it took extra innings to decide a winner on Saturday morning. It would come down to a pitching duel throughout the entirety of the game. Unfortunately the Panthers would take the Regents down 2-1 in 10 innings. 

• Rockford struggled to bring runners home early as RU left a combined four runners on base through the first three innings.
• Unfortunately in the bottom of the fourth a walk and an advance on an error that would send a runner to third would set the Panthers up in scoring position. A one out single back up the middle would be enough to give Pitt Bradford a 1-0 lead. Fortunately Rockford did well to get out of the inning getting the next two batters to pop out.
• The pitching duel continued until the top of the eighth when Hunter Fiorito (Batavia, Ill.) sparked the RU offense with a single to center field. Fiorito stole second before Jacob Rillamas (Yuma, Ariz.) was hit by a pitch to give RU runners on first and second with no outs. 
• With one out Michael Gunter (Maricopa, Ariz.) laced a single down the middle to bring Fiorito racing home to tie the game at 1-1.
• The Regents were able to threaten again in the ninth as Iszak Mestas (Burbank, Ill.) singled to center with two outs, but RU could not manage to bring him home. 
• It would take extras to determine a winner for the game. The game had to be postponed 46 minutes before heading into the tenth due to a rain delay.
• Unfortunately Rockford could not get anything going in the tenth. The Panthers however were able to convert after a double and a few errors wound up giving Pitt Bradford the 2-1 victory.

• Clay Goodwin (St. Francisville, Ill.) did well on the mound pitching the first six innings as he allowed just two hits and gave up one run. Goodwin also struck out three batters.
• Hunter Fiorito, Jacob Rillamas, Michael Gunter, Kyle Waugh (Waseca, Minn.) and Iszak Mestas each logged a hit in the game.
• Gunter added an RBI while Waugh notched a double.

The Rockford University baseball team returns to action for its first home game of the year on Saturday, March 23 for a doubleheader against Augustana. First pitch is set for noon.