MONTGOMERY, Ill. - The Regents baseball team (9-21, 1-11 NACC) fell twice on the road Wednesday afternoon to #7 Aurora University (26-4, 10-2 NACC). The opener was a hard-fought one-run affair, that could have gone either way. Unfortunately, it was a pair of Rockford errors that led to a trio of unearned runs and ultimately allowed Aurora to escape with a 4-3 win. Game two belonged to the Spartans from the onset. Aurora scored nine runs in the bottom of the first and cruised to a 17-0 victory.
Game 1
- Senior Christian Pearcy got the start for the Regents in game one. Pearcy was absolutely brilliant on the mound over his two innings of work. He did not allow a hit, struck out four and held the Spartans scoreless entering the third.
- Rockford did have a chance to provide Pearcy with some run support in the top of the first. Jared Herzog doubled to left and put himself in scoring position with two outs. However, the Spartans were able to retire the next batter and keep the Regents off the scoreboard.
- Carson Balcer took over for Pearcy in the third and pitched well during his two innings of work. Balcer held the Spartans scoreless in the third and retired the first two hitters in the fourth. Unfortunately, a Rockford error led to three unearned runs later in the frame, as Aurora took a 3-0 lead.
- The Regents had another chance to score in the top of the sixth. Jared Herzog ripped his second double of the game, to once again put himself in scoring position with two outs. However, Aurora was able to wiggle out of the jam and maintain its 3-0 lead.
- The Spartans then added a run off a pair of hits in the bottom of the sixth, to extend their lead to 4-0.
- Rockford was finally able to break through with a trio of runs in the top of the seventh. Phil Hyland got things started with a leadoff single and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Three batters later, Troy Tucci came through with a clutch two-out double, to score Hyland and make it a 4-1 game. After a Zach Hunter walk, Hunter Fiorito tripled to right center, scoring Tucci and Hunter, to pull the Regents back within a single run at 4-3. Unfortunately, Rockford would strand Fiorito at third and head into the eighth still trailing by one.
- The Regents went down in order in the eighth and managed just a walk in the ninth, falling by a final score of 4-3.
Game 2
- Aurora jumped all over Rockford in the first couple of innings in game two. The Spartans scored nine runs off six hits and capitalized on one Regent error in the bottom of the first. Aurora then added a trio of runs in the second, to make it a 12-0 lead.
- The Spartans would tack on five more runs in the fourth en route to a 17-0 win.
Game 1
- Christian Pearcy tossed 2 scoreless innings. Pearcy allowed no hits, walked none and struck out five.
- Carson Balcer also went 2 innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out one.
- Kerrick Jones pitched 3 innings. He surrendered just one run and struck out two.
- Christian Dahlstrom struck out one in his one inning of work.
- Jared Herzog was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles.
- Hunter Fiorito went 1-for-3 with a triple and 2 runs driven in.
- Troy Tucci finished 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
Game 2
The RU baseball team returns to the diamond on Saturday, May 1 against Dominican University. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for noon at Rivets Stadium.
