FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Rockford University baseball team (3-2) avenged Wednesday's loss with an impressive 10-5 win over the Thiel College Tomcats (3-3) on Friday. The Regents took control of the game midway through, scoring six combined runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Offensively, it was
Jared Herzog who smacked a two-run home run to give Rockford a lead, one it would not surrender. On the mound it was
Kent Evans Jr. who turned in an excellent performance, especially from the third inning on. Evans was nearly unhittable, allowing just one hit over his final four innings en route to earning his first win of the season.
- Following a scoreless first inning, Thiel College scored a trio of runs in the top of the second to take a 3-0 lead. The Tomcats had four singles in the inning and scored all three of its runs with two outs.
- The Regents were able to answer right back with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Jonathan Leon got things started with a one-out infield single and then advanced to second on a throwing error. One batter later, Aaron Monti crushed an RBI double to right center, scoring Leon and making it a 3-1 game. After a bunt moved Monti to third, Bradey Franks drove him in with an RBI single and cut the Tomcat lead to 3-2.
- RU starting pitcher Kent Evans Jr. seemed to hit his stride from the third inning on. Evans allowed just one hit over the next four innings and did not allow a runner to reach second base. He also struck out five batters over that span, to help keep it a one-run game.
- The Regents were then able to take the lead with a three-run fifth inning. Tyler Peake began the inning with a walk and then moved to second base on a wild pitch. The inning was then seemingly over after the next three batters struck out, but Joseph Stagowski was able to reach base via a wild pitch on the third strike and keep the inning alive. Jared Herzog would make the Tomcats pay, as he belted a two-run home run over the right center field wall, to give the Regents a 5-3 lead.
- Rockford then added three more runs in the sixth and took a commanding 8-3 advantage. The Regents had just two hits in the inning, but drew three walks and took advantage of multiple passed balls. Bradey Franks drove in the first run of the inning on a squeeze and Tyler Peake scored the other run on a passed ball.
- The score remained unchanged until the eighth, when both teams scored. Thiel struck first with an unearned run in the top of the inning and Rockford responded with two runs in the bottom half. Joseph Stagowski got things started with a two-out walk, and then Jared Herzog drove him in with an RBI triple to right center. Herzog would then score on a wild pitch to make it a 10-4 game.
- The Tomcats added a meaningless run in the ninth, as Rockford went on to win by a final score of 10-5.
- Kent Evans Jr. threw 6 solid innings to earn his first win of the year. Evans scattered 6 hits and allowed just 3 earned runs, while striking out 7, to improve to 1-0 on the season.
- Jared Herzog finished a double away from hitting the cycle. Herzog went 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs.
- Jonathan Leon was 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored.
- Bradey Franks went 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs.
