WAUWATOSA, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team (9-11, 2-8 NACC) dropped a pair of close road games on Friday afternoon, 8-7 in 10 innings and 4-2 to the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors (6-14, 3-7 NACC). The Regents roared back with five runs in the ninth to tie the opener at 7-7 and send it into extras. Unfortunately, it was the Warriors who scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the tenth to secure the 8-7 win. The second game of the doubleheader was a pitchers' duel from start to finish. The Rockford bullpen was simply outstanding, allowing just a single run over 7.2 innings of work. Unfortunately, the Warriors' three-run second inning turned out to be the difference in the game. Rockford managed just single runs in both the second and third and fell by a final score of 4-2.
Game 1
- The Regents plated single runs in the first and second innings to grab an early 2-0 lead. Jake Bilotta led off the game with a single to left, and then advanced to second when Joseph Stagowski was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Neil Freeman roped an RBI double to center and gave Rockford a quick 1-0 lead. In the second, Tyler Peake led off with a single back up the middle, then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Joseph Stagowski would drive in Peake with a two-out RBI double to right and make it a 2-0 Regent lead.
- The score remained 2-0 until the bottom of the fourth, when Ethan Orcutt hit a leadoff home run over the left center wall and cut the Rockford lead in half.
- The Warriors then added single runs in the fifth and sixth to take their first lead of the day. Wisconsin Lutheran had just one hit in the fifth, but was able to capitalize on a Regent error to tie the game with an unearned run. The Warriors then took the lead one inning later. Wisconsin Lutheran again had just one it in the frame, but was able to manufacture a run off a double, a stolen base and an RBI groundout.
- Wisconsin Lutheran seemingly put the game out of reach with a four-run eighth. The Warriors had three hits in the inning, but took advantage of two Regent errors, to score four runs, only one of which was earned.
- With Rockford now trailing 7-2 in the top of the ninth, the Regents came roaring back to knot that game at 7-7 and send it into extras. Rockford also had just three hits in the frame, but capitalized on two Warrior errors to score its five runs. Rockford scored its first run on an error and then Jared Herzog drove in the second run of the inning on an RBI single to center. The Regents then scored a run on a wild pitch to make it a 7-5 ballgame. A couple of batters later, Jonathan Leon pulled Rockford back to within a single run on an RBI groundout. Gio Lucchetto followed with the biggest hit of the day, when he delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to center and tied the game at 7-7.
- Wisconsin Lutheran had a chance to win it in the bottom of the ninth, but Rockford picked a runner off third and tagged him out at the plate. Pitcher Jared Herzog subsequently struck out the next batter to send the game into extra innings.
- Rockford loaded the bases in the top of the tenth, but came up empty, as the game entered the bottom half of the inning still tied.
- After two quick outs to begin the WLC half of the tenth, the Warriors strung together a double and a walk, to put the winning run on second with two outs. Unfortunately, Ryan Dominick hit a game-winning RBI single into center to lift the Warriors to an 8-7 victory.
Game 2
- The second game of the doubleheader turned into pitchers' duel between the RU bullpen and WLC starter Andrew Muffler. The Regent bullpen went 7.2 innings, allowing just five hits and one run, while striking out five batters. Brayden Bidwell and Hunter Svec tossed 2.2 and 2.0 shutout innings respectively, allowing a combined four hits and striking out five.
- The Regents once again scored first with a single run in the top of the second. After a Warrior error and a Matthew O'Shaughnessy single put runners on the corners with two outs, Jake Bilotta drove in his first run of the day with an RBI single to right.
- Unfortunately, Wisconsin Lutheran responded with three runs off four hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-1 lead.
- Rockford would however score another run in the top of the third to cut the deficit in half. Jared Herzog and Neil Freeman strung together a pair of singles to put runners on the corners with one out. Ryan Smith then drove in Herzog on an RBI fielder's choice to the shortstop, to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
- The score remained the same until the bottom of the fifth when WLC added one final run. Wisconsin Lutheran drew a trio of walks in the inning and then scored on a sacrifice fly to right, to extend its lead to 4-2.
- The Regents had runners on first and second with two outs in both the sixth and ninth innings, but unfortunately, could not come up with a key hit, and dropped game two of the doubleheader by a final score of 4-2.
Game 1
- Jake Bilotta finished 4-for-6 with 2 runs scored.
- Tyler Peake went 2-for-4 with a run scored and 2 stolen bases.
- Gio Lucchetto was 2-for-5 with an RBI.
- Joseph Stagowski and Neil Freeman each went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and an RBI.
- Jared Herzog drove in a run and scored a run.
- Kent Evans Jr. turned in a solid start on the mound for the Regents. Evans went 6 strong innings, allowing just 2 earned runs and striking out a season-high 7 batters.
Game 2
