BELOIT, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team traded wins with the Edgewood College Eagles in its first home doubleheader of the season. The Regents took an early lead in game one, and despite giving the lead up in the seventh, took it back shortly after to secure the win 4-3. Edgewood responded in game two by racking up 14 runs while Rockford failed to keep up, dropping the contest 14-10, splitting the pair of NACC games.
Rockford 4 Edgewood 3
- The Regents struck first in the bottom of the first. Joseph Stagowski sent a ball over the center field wall to open the scoring at 1-0.
- Both sides then began a pitching duel. Jared Herzog held a shutout and earned five strikeouts in his first four innings of action.
- Rockford built on its lead in the bottom of the fourth after Jonathan Leon was driven in by Will Hissong to push the lead to 2-0.
- Edgewood was threatening with the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, but a clutch double play got the Regents out of the inning with no damage, keeping the score at 2-0.
- It took until the top of the seventh for the Eagles to respond.
- Edgewood drove in three total runs, the first coming from a bunt, the second from an error, and the third from a sacrifice fly to give the Eagles their first lead of the afternoon at 3-2.
- It didn't take long for the Regents to take the lead back. Ryan Stejskal came up big with a massive go-ahead home run to left center to make the score 4-3 in Rockford's favor.
- Kent Evans Jr. stepped onto the mound for the final two innings and dominated. Evans Jr. recorded three-straight strikeouts in the eighth and three more outs in the ninth to earn the save and give Rockford the 4-3 victory.
Rockford 10 Edgewood 14
- Edgewood quickly got runners on base in the first inning, loading the bases with only one out. The Regents defense managed to hold out and get the final two to keep the Eagles from scoring.
- After the Rockford half of the inning, Edgewood came back up and broke the scoreless tie. A pair of doubles scored the opening run of the game, while a single right after scored the second. Joseph Kalafut stepped up later in the inning and delivered a two-run home run that broke the lead open into a 4-0 advantage for the Eagles.
- Rockford got an opportunity in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases. A throwing error by the defense on a ground ball scored Richie Garcia to cut the lead to 4-1. Jake Bilotta followed up the first run with a single to score TJ Cox and make it a 4-2 game headed into the third.
- Edgewood got the runs back and more in the top of the fourth with a home run by Kyle Sagan and a pair of runs scoring on a single up the middle to make it a 7-2 Eagles lead.
- Jake Bilotta came through again in the bottom of the inning, scoring Blaise Mace on a double to left center to make the game 7-3.
- EC broke the game open again in the top of the sixth, scoring three more runs on a sacrifice fly and a pair of singles that brought runners home. Edgewood had the lead 10-3.
- The Regents once again responded in the bottom of the inning. Scott Gowan and Jake Bilotta scored thanks to a Ryan Stejskal single that cut the deficit to five at 10-5.
- The Eagles didn't slow down in the top of the seventh, scoring two runs to stretch the lead back to seven at 12-5.
- A sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning scored Rockford's Cobi Cooper to bring the score to 12-6. Ryan Stejskal later homered in the eighth inning to cut the lead to four at 14-8.
- With time running out in the bottom of the ninth, Scott Gowan belted a two-run home run with two outs. Edgewood got the final out in the next at-bat however, sealing the nightcap win by a final score of 14-10.
Game 1
Game 2
- Ryan Stejskal went 3-for-5 with a home run and 4 RBIs.
- Jake Bilotta finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs and a double.
- Scott Gowan recorded one hit as a pinch hitter, a two-run home run in the ninth, giving him 2 RBIs.
