BELOIT, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team split a doubleheader 6-5 and 3-13 with the Concordia University Chicago Cougars in a Wednesday afternoon NACC matchup. Game one featured a trade of 3-run first innings by both offenses, but the offensive output slowed as both starting pitchers settled in nicely despite a few blemishes.
Joseph Stagowski belted a solo shot to give the Regents the 4-3 lead in the 3rd, but the Cougars eventually tied it in the 6th. Rockford scored again in the 6th to take a 5-4 lead, but CUC was able to tie the game yet again in the 7th. In the bottom of the 7th in a slated 7-inning game,
Joseph Stagowski struck again for his second home run of the game, this time giving the Regents the win in walk-off fashion. Game two started similarly to game one with each offense trading 2-run first innings. The Cougars were then able to take the lead with two in the second and one in the third to take a 5-2 lead, although the Regents did cut into that with a single run in their half of the third to make it a 5-3 game. Unfortunately, CUC was able to score three in the 4th, two in the 7th and three more in the 8th to take a commanding 13-3 lead. The Cougars were able to hold the Regents in check and take game two to force the split. With this split with Concordia University Chicago, Rockford finds itself now tied for 8th in the NACC standings with St. Norbert, with the two teams set to showdown this Saturday.
Game 1
- The opener started out with a 3-run first for the Cougars after an RBI single and a 2-run single to put CUC up 3-0 to start the day.
- The Regents responded right back with a 1-out hit-by-pitch that plunked Jared Herzog, followed by a single from Joseph Stagowski, Alex Perez drove in Herzog with an RBI single and Zach Fabis later rocketed a 2-run triple off the right field wall, to tie the game up at 3-3.
- Rockford took the lead in the bottom of the 3rd with a solo shot from Joseph Stagowski to center to go up 4-3.
- Rockford's Nate Burdin continued to battle on the mound, as he was able to keep the Cougars offense at bay and pitch effectively, delivering a strong 6.0 innings of work.
- The Cougars did tie the game up at 4-4 in the top of the 6th with an RBI single to left, but the Regents were able to take the lead right back with an RBI double in the right-center gap from Blaise Mace to give Rockford a 5-4 lead.
- Unfortunately the Cougars were able to scratch an important run in the top of the 7th on a fielder's choice to tie the game up at 5-5, but Rockford's Joseph Stagowski on the second pitch of the inning, called game with a walk-off home run over the right field wall to give the Regents the 6-5 win.
Game 2
- The second game started much like the first with the Cougars getting out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st, this time on a 2-run homer to center.
- Rockford tied the game right back up with a sacrifice fly from Jared Herzog and an RBI from Zach Fabis to make it a 2-2 game.
- The Cougars were able to push across 2 in the 2nd, 1 in the 3rd and 3 in the 4th to take an 8-3 lead.
- Rockford was able to get a base runner in each of the next 2 innings, but unfortunately could not get anything going to cut into the CUC lead.
- CUC was able to strike again in the 7th for 2 to make it a 10-3 game and then scored 3 more in the 8th to make it a 13-3 game and force the Regents to score to continue the game, but the Cougars were able to close the game out and take game two to force the split.
Game 1
- Joseph Stagowski had a big 3-4 game with 2 solo shots and a single to give him 6 on the season, which puts him in a tie for 7th in the NACC, it is also the first multi-homer game of his career.
- Zach Fabis had a perfect 3-3 game with a triple and 2 singles, also knocking in 2 runs.
- Blaise Mace was 2-3 with 2 doubles and an RBI.
- Nate Burdin delivered a strong, season-high 6.0 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs and racking up 6 K's.
Game 2
- Jake Bilotta provided a 3-4 game with a double and 2 singles, also scoring a run.
- Alex Perez had a 2-4 game with 2 singles.
- Zach Fabis was 1-3 with a double and an RBI.
