LOVES PARK, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team (7-9, 2-6 NACC) dropped both games of its doubleheader on Sunday against Concordia University Wisconsin (10-13, 4-4 NACC). Rockford's first home games of the year resulted in a total of 38 runs in the two contests (12-10, 10-6), with CUW in the lead for a majority of the afternoon.
Joseph Stagowski had a great opening game, he went four-for-six with a double and two home runs that earned him 4 RBI's and 4 runs.
Game 1
- Game one opened with a tough first inning for the Rockford pitching staff. Four runs crossed the plate in the opening inning, three of which due to a bases-loaded walk and two wild pitches to make the game 4-0.
- Both offenses were held in check up until the bottom of the third inning when Joseph Stagowski knocked a three-run homer to score Jake Bilotta and Bradey Franks to make it 4-3.
- CUW built on its lead in the top of the fourth when a pair of doubles scored two more runs for the Falcons to make it a 6-3 ballgame.
- Neither side got much going until Joseph Stagowski stepped up in the fifth and sent a second home run over the left field wall to make the game 6-4.
- Concordia Wisconsin had a big inning in the seventh, putting a pair of runners on base to start, then hitting a double to score two and make it 8-4. Getting runners at the corners later in the inning, another double hit to left-center field scored both the runners and made it 10-4.
- Rockford had its own offense in the bottom of the seventh inning. Stagowski started it off with a double to left field, and a pair of walks loaded the bases. Peyton McCray singled through the left side and scored two of the runners to pull the game to 10-6. A walk by Tyler Peake to load the bases and another walk by Bradey Franks shortly after scored another run to make it 10-7. Rockford left the bases loaded after the next batter, and the two sides headed to the eighth inning.
- CUW secured a pair of insurance runs thanks to runners on second and third that scored on a single to make it 12-7.
- Three straight singles in the bottom of the eighth loaded the bases for Rockford. Ryan Smith singled on the next at-bat and brought in two runs to make it 12-9.
- Jonathan Leon was hit by a pitch to load the bases again for the Regents, but a double play and strikeout allowed RU to score only one more run in the inning, the score at 12-10.
- The ninth inning was quiet, and Concordia Wisconsin recorded the final out via strikeout, giving the Falcons the win in the opener 12-10.
Game 2
- Game two was quiet through the first inning and a half, before Rockford loaded the bases. Bradey Franks hit a sacrifice fly to score Ryan Smith and open the scoring at 1-0. The Regents left the rest of the runners stranded, unable to build on their lead.
- CUW managed to tie the game in the next half inning thanks to a home run to make it 1-1. The Falcons then took the lead in the top of the fourth with an error that allowed a runner to score from third making it 2-1. A single and a bases-loaded walk in the fifth helped the Falcons build the lead to 4-1.
- Concordia Wisconsin continued to score with a three-run home run in the sixth inning to make it 7-1. A sacrifice fly towards the end of the inning scored an additional run to make it 8-1.
- The Falcons scored two more runs in the top of the ninth and made the score 10-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. Rockford loaded the bases, and Neil Freeman scored on a dropped third strike. Jake Bilotta followed it up with a single that got past the center fielder and allowed Bilotta to circle the bases and score with all three runs to make it 10-6. The Regents grounded out for the final out in the next at-bat and the Falcons took the nightcap by a final score of 10-6.
Game 1
Game 2
