FOND DU LAC, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team dropped both its games on the road Wednesday to the Marian Unviersity Sabres. The Regents trailed 7-0 heading into the seventh in game one, but rallied for five runs and had the bases loaded with two outs. Unfortunately, Marian got the final batter of the game to fly out to preserve a 7-5 win. The nightcap started out as a pitcher's duel for the first five innings, before both teams exploded for a combined 23 runs over the final five innings. Rockford fell behind 11-4 but once again rallied for seven runs over the final two innings to tie the game and send it into extras. Unfortunately, it was the Sabres who scored the winning run in the bottom of the tenth on a wild pitch for the 12-11 victory.
Game 1
- Marian scored single runs in the first and third innings to take an early two-run lead. In the first, it was a double steal that broke the scoreless tie. The Sabres then made it a 2-0 game when they capitalized on a Rockford error to score their run in the third.
- Kadin Bergstrom and Alex Perez began the fourth with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no one out. Unfortunately, Marian retired the next batter and then induced a double play to end the inning.
- The Sabres tacked on five more runs over the next three innings to extend their lead to 7-0. In the fifth, Marian had a pair of hits but again took advantage of a Regent error to score two unearned runs. The Sabres had just two singles in the sixth, but capitalized on another Rockford error, a walk and a wild pitch to take a seven-run lead.
- However, Rockford did not go down without a fight. The Regents tallied six hits in the top of the seventh, doubling their hit total, and had the tying run in scoring position.
- Ethan Pedroza doubled in Rockford's first run of the day to make it a 7-1 game.
- Austin Massat and Jake Bilotta strung together back-to-back singles, with the latter driving in a run and cutting the Marian lead down to 7-2.
- After a strikeout, a pitching change and a hit batter, Alex Perez delivered a two-out, two-run single to pull his team back to within three at 7-4.
- Blaise Mace followed with an RBI single of his own to make it just a two-run game.
- One batter later, Enrique Melendez Jr. tallied his first hit of the game, loading the bases and moving the tying run to second.
- Unfortunately, the Sabres were able to retire the next batter and escape with a 7-5 win.
Game 2
- The nightcap started out as a pitcher's dual between Rockford's Alex Easton and Marian's Brandon Moore. Neither pitcher allowed a run over the first five innings, and the two combined to surrender just five total hits heading into the sixth.
- Rockford then took its first lead of the day with three runs in the top of the sixth.
- Following a one-out walk, Kadin Bergstrom, Enrique Melendez Jr. and Zach Fabis strung together three straight singles, with Fabis driving in a pair of runs and giving the Regents a 2-0 advantage.
- Two batters later, Nate Burdin drove in Rockford's final run of the inning on a sacrifice fly to right.
- Unfortunately, Rockford's lead did not last long, as Marian struck for four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-3 advantage. The Sabres only had three hits in the inning but capitalized on an error, two walks and two hit batters to plate their four runs.
- The back and forth nature of the game continued as Rockford tied the game with a single run in the top of the seventh.
- Alex Perez got things started with a one-out double, and then Kadin Bergstrom drove in Perez with an RBI double to tie the game at 4-4.
- The Sabres then seemingly took control of the game by scoring seven runs in the bottom half of the inning to take commanding 11-4 advantage.
- Rockford was able to cut the Sabre lead in half with four runs of its own in the top of the eighth.
- Jake Bilotta drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI double. Rockford added another run off an Alex Perez RBI walk and two more a Sabre error. The Regents were able to get the tying run to the plate, but unfortunately, flew out to center to keep it an 11-8 game.
- Rockford continued to battle and was able to tie the game in the top of the ninth. Nate Burdin singled and Blaise Mace and Jake Bilotta walked to load the bases with one out. Jared Herzog then drove in the first two runs of the inning on a two-run double down the left field line, to make it an 11-10 game. One batter later, Joseph Stagowski tied it at 11-11 on sacrifice fly to deep right center field and sent the game into extras.
- Unfortunately, the Sabres loaded the bases in the tenth on a pair of walks and a bunt single, and then scored on a wild pitch for the 12-11 victory.
Game 1
Game 2
