BELOIT, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team swept the reigning NACC Tournament Champion MSOE Raiders at home on Monday afternoon. The Regents started strong, leading the majority of game one and escaping a late MSOE comeback to win 12-8. RU followed up the win with a battle in the nightcap, scoring six runs in the final two innings to take a late lead and complete the sweep over the Raiders 8-7.
Alex Perez was a main contributor on offense, he finished 4-for-9 with two doubles and three RBIs, while scoring four times.
Rockford 12 MSOE 8
- MSOE struck first in the top of the first, a fielding error sent in the first run and a sacrifice fly sent in the second, giving the Raiders a 2-0 lead.
- Rockford responded quickly, starting with Jake Bilotta scoring on a balk. With a pair of runners in scoring position, Alex Perez stepped up and delivered a double that scored two more runs to give the Regents their first lead of the afternoon at 3-2.
- RU later added on to its lead with a Jonathan Leon single that scored Jake Bilotta to make it 4-2.
- The Regents didn't slow down, continuing to score in the fourth. A loaded bases wild pitch scored one run, and another bases loaded error scored three more runs. Jared Herzog added a final run with a single that scored Alex Perez. With all those runs scored, Rockford held a strong lead, 9-2.
- Ryan Stejskal added a tenth unanswered run in the sixth with a single through the left side that scored Jonathan Leon.
- Up until the seventh, Tommy Maher put together a solid outing on the mound. In his first six innings, he recorded zero earned runs and a strikeout.
- The Raiders weren't out yet, putting together a massive comeback in the seventh inning with six runs to pull the game to 10-8.
- After a pitching change, Kent Evans Jr. carried the Regents to the finish line. Rockford scored a pair of runs towards the end of the game, while Evans Jr. held the MSOE offense and earned a save, giving RU the win 12-8.
Rockford 8 MSOE 7
- Game two began with a pitching duel between Brayden Bidwell and MSOE's Cole Ninmann. Bidwell started the game with three shutout innings.
- The Regents broke through in the bottom of the third. Jake Bilotta stole second base to get into scoring position and Ryan Stejskal knocked a double that brought Bilotta in to make it a 1-0 ballgame.
- It didn't take long for the Raiders to respond, bringing in two runs of their own in the top of the fourth to go ahead 2-1.
- MSOE made it four unanswered runs in the top of the sixth with a single and a sacrifice fly bringing both in to put the Raiders up 4-1.
- A Rockford sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning brought Alex Perez home to cut the deficit down to 4-2.
- The Raiders extended their advantage in the top of the seventh with two more runs to take a 6-2 lead.
- Rockford got exactly what it needed in the bottom of the seventh. Jake Bilotta tripled and was quickly brought in by Jonathan Leon. After loading the bases right after, Scott Gowan knocked a double to right center to score two more and put the Regents in perfect position, now only down 6-5. Alex Perez managed to score in the next at-bat thanks to a sacrifice fly from Jared Herzog to tie the game at six. Scott Gowan came in to score the go-ahead run after Malik Abdallah hit a two-out single, giving RU the lead for the first time since the third inning, 7-6.
- The Raiders were able to score one essential run in the top of the eighth on a sacrifice fly. That put the score back to even at 7-7 heading into the bottom of the inning.
- Jake Bilotta singled to open the bottom of the eighth, and Alex Perez got him to third base with a perfectly executed two-out hit and run. A wild pitch in the next at-bat brought Bilotta in to score and give the Regents an 8-7 advantage going into the final inning.
- Kent Evans Jr. came in once again to close things out. After walking a batter, he was able to record all three finals outs, including a strikeout, to seal the victory and capture his third save in two days. Rockford defeated the Raiders 8-7 and completed a much-needed sweep in conference play.
Game 1
- Alex Perez went 2-for-5 with a double, 3 RBIs, and 2 runs scored.
- Jake Bilotta hit 2-for-4, scoring 3 times.
- Jonathan Leon finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, a stolen base, and scored 4 times.
- Kent Evans Jr. picked up the save with 2.2 innings pitched and 3 strikeouts.
Game 2
