EUREKA, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team won its first game of the season 12-8 at Eureka College on Sunday afternoon. The game can really be broken down into three separate three-inning segments. The first three innings of the game were dominated by the two pitching staffs, with neither team recording a run or a hit. Eureka then dominated from the fourth through the sixth innings, outscoring Rockford by an 8-4 margin. Fortunately, the Regents were able to battle back and outscore the Red Devils 8-0, including a 6-run ninth, over the remainder of the game.
- The game opened as a pitchers' duel between Rockford's Alex Easton and Eureka's Mike Dunne. The two combined to allow no runs, no hits and just two base runners through the first three innings of the game.
- Rockford finally broke the scoreless tie with a single run in the top of the fourth. Kadin Bergstrom and Alex Perez strung together back-to-back one-out doubles to give the Regents a 1-0 lead.
- However, the Red Devils answered right back with a trio of runs in the bottom half of the inning. Eureka pounded out five hits, including a pair of doubles, to take a 3-1 advantage.
- The scoring sprees continued with Rockford retaking the lead in the top of the fourth. The Regents got three runs off three hits and took advantage of an error to jump back in front 4-3. Jake Bilotta and Jared Herzog each had RBI singles, with Rockford's other run coming on a wild pitch.
- The score remained unchanged until Eureka used a five-run sixth to take an 8-4 lead. The Red Devils had just four hits in the inning, but also drew a walk and had a pair of hit batsmen.
- Rockford slowly chipped away at the deficit with single runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. Jared Herzog drove in his second run of the game with an RBI single in the seventh, and then Nate Burdin tallied an RBI single of his own in the top of the eighth to make it an 8-6 game.
- The Regents finally retook the lead with six runs off three hits in the top of the ninth. Rockford quickly put runners on first and second with one out. One batter later, Jared Herzog scored to make it a one-run game. After a hit batsman loaded the bases, Enrique Melendez Jr. tied the game on an RBI single. One batter later, Nate Burdin drew a walk, forcing in Alex Perez and giving the Regents a 9-8 lead. Rockford added three more runs on a David Wilhite sacrifice fly and a Eureka error, to stretch its lead out to 12-8.
- Will Hissong did allow a pair of Red Devils to reach in the bottom of the ninth, but struck out the final two batters of the game to secure the win.
- Jared Herzog went 3-for-5 with a run scored and 2 RBIs.
- Alex Perez was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored, 2 walks, an RBI and a stolen base.
- Nate Burdin finished 2-for-4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
- Will Hissong picked up his first win of the season. Hissong went 3.2 innings in relief, allowing just 3 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 6.
