LOVES PARK, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team (11-13) were unable to comeback against Augustana College (23-8) in a 10-6 single-game loss on Tuesday night. A tough first inning left the Regents trailing for the entirety of the game, unable to catch Augustana before the final out was recorded. Rockford was held without an extra base hit and struck out eleven times at the plate, causing the offense to stall multiple times throughout all nine innings.
- What started as a quiet first inning quickly got out of control after two singles and a hit by pitch loaded the bases for Augustana in the top of the first. The Vikings cleared the bases with a home run from the very next batter and quickly took a 4-0 lead. Augustana added one more run before the end of the inning off an error allowing a runner to score from third, making it 5-0 after the first half inning.
- Rockford was held without a hit in the bottom of the inning, and the Vikings came back up and added another run in the second to their already mounting lead. Two batters got hit by pitches and one came around to score on the first hit of the inning to make the score 6-0.
- The Regents were able to get on the board in the third inning, trying to cut down the deficit. Tyler Peake managed to get around to third base, where Joseph Stagowski placed a single into right field, allowing Peake to score and make it a 6-1 game. Jared Herzog and Neil Freeman were able to find a way on base to load them up for Jonathan Leon, who singled and secured two RBIs to make the score 6-3 before the final out was recorded.
- It became a pitching duel in the fourth and fifth inning, neither side able to impact the score until the top of the sixth. Augustana rallied to re-extend its lead on a throwing error and a double, taking back a six-run lead at 9-3. The Vikings added their final run of the day in the seventh thanks to a single that scored a runner from second base, creating a 10-3 lead.
- Rockford was not about to give up, however. The Regents and Vikings had each been unable to score since the seventh, but the Regents stepped up to bat in the bottom of the ninth hoping to change that. Tyler Peake hit a single to start the inning and was able to get to third on a throwing error the next play. Joseph Stagowski hit another single to score Peake and put two runners on for RU. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position, and a single by Neil Freeman allowed both Jared Herzog and pinch runner Bradey Franks to score, cutting the lead to 10-6 with only one out.
- Augustana got a perfect ground ball on the next play and converted a double play to end the game, ruining the Regents comeback and taking the game by a final score of 10-6.
