SCHAUMBURG, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team earned a critical sweep on the road Tuesday afternoon at Dominican University. The Regents amassed 24 runs and 24 hits over the two games en route to 8-1 and 16-4 victories. Rockford scored two runs in the top of the first and never trailed at any point in the opener. Dominican jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead early in game two. Fortunately, the Regents scored the next 16 runs, including a pair of 3-run home runs by
Joseph Stagowski and
Kadin Bergstrom, to pick up the sweep. Rockford now enters the final day of NACC play on Friday needing just one win or a Concordia Chicago loss to clinch a berth in the 2024 NACC Tournament.
Game 1
- Rockford plated a pair of runs in the top of the first to grab a quick lead. Jared Herzog drove in the game's first run on an RBI triple to center field. One batter later, Joseph Stagowski knocked in Herzog with an RBI groundout to make it a 2-0 game.
- Dominican answered with a single run in the bottom of the first to cut the Regent lead in half.
- However, from that moment on, Nate Burdin and the rest of the RU pitching staff was completely locked in. Burdin did not surrender a run over the next four innings and only allowed a single runner to reach base in each of the next three innings.
- The RU offense gave Burdin some additional run support in the top of the third. Jared Herzog belted a leadoff home run to put his team back up by two at 3-1.
- Rockford then added two more runs in the fifth. Following a walk and two quick outs, Kadin Bergstrom drove in the first run of the inning on an RBI single to left, and Zach Fabis made it a 5-1 Regent advantage with an RBI double to right field.
- The Regents continued to their offensive onslaught with another run in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Jake Bilotta drove in the Regents' run in the sixth on an RBI single to center, and Rockford capitalized on a pair of Dominican errors in the seventh to plate two runs and extend its lead to 8-1.
- Reliever Will Hissong took over for Nate Burdin in the sixth and blanked the Stars over the final two innings. Hissong struck out two batters in the sixth and two more in the seventh, including the final batter of the game to preserve the 8-1 victory.
Game 2
- The Stars shot out of the gates with two runs in each of the first two innings. Dominican used a trio of hits, including two doubles, to plate its first two runs and take a quick 2-0 lead. The Stars then extended their lead to 4-0 with two more runs off two hits in the bottom of the second.
- Fortunately, Rockford hit right back with a trio of runs in the top of the third. Jake Bilotta and Jared Herzog began the inning with back-to-back doubles, with Herzog driving in Bilotta, to make it a 4-1 game. Rockford then made it a 4-2 game off a Dominican error. One batter later, Alex Perez drove in the final run of the inning on an RBI groundout to cut the Star led down to just one at 4-3.
- From the third inning on, the RU pitching staff was dominant. Starter Alex Easton and relievers Aaron Monti and Will Hissong did not allow a run over the final seven innings of the game. Easton induced a trio of double plays and only allowed one runner to reach second base over his final four innings of work. Monti and Hissong then combined to go the final three innings to close out the game.
- Rockford took its first lead in the nightcap with a three-run fifth. Alex Perez and Blaise Mace each smacked RBI doubles, with Mace driving in two, to put Rockford out in front 6-4.
- The Regents continued to build upon their lead with a single run in the top of the sixth inning. Jake Bilotta got things started with a double, and then Alex Perez drove him in on an RBI single to make it 7-4.
- Rockford would essentially put the game away with four more runs in the seventh. Jared Herzog drove in the first run on an RBI single. One batter and pitching change later, Joseph Stagowski blasted a three-run home run to extend Rockford's lead to 11-4.
- The Regents added an insurance run in the eighth and then four more runs in the ninth, three of which came off a Kadin Bergstrom three-run home run, en route to a decisive 16-4 victory.
Game 1
- Jared Herzog finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
- Kadin Bergstrom went 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
- Blaise Mace walked 4 times in the game.
- Nate Burdin improved to 4-2 on the mound this year. Burdin went 5 innings, allowed just 1 run and struck out 2.
- Will Hissong did not allow a run in his 2 innings and struck out 4 batters.
Game 2
- Jake Bilotta finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and 4 runs.
- Jared Herzog went 3-for-6 with a double, 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
- Joseph Stagowski was 2-for-4 with a home run, 4 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
- Alex Perez finished 3-for-6 with a double, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
- Kadin Bergstrom went a perfect 3-for-3 with 3 walks, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
- Blaise Mace was 2-for-5 with a double and 2 RBIs.
- Alex Easton picked up the win to improve to 3-1 on the mound this year. Easton went 6 innings, allowing 4 runs and striking out 1 batter.
