WAUWATOSA, Wis. - The Rockford University baseball team scored 25 runs off 28 hits on Tuesday afternoon and secured a sweep of the season series against the Wisconsin Lutheran College Warriors.
Kadin Bergstrom belted a trio of home runs throughout the day, including two in the opener, while
Joseph Stagowski got the scoring started with a three-run home in the top of the first. The pitching duo of
Nate Burdin and
Will Hissong held down the Warrior attack in game one, as Rockford took the opener 10-3. The nightcap was an absolute slugfest. Rockford belted a season-high 20 hits, while the Warriors scored a season-high 11 runs in the Regents' 15-11 win. Rockford had seven players record multiple hits in the game, led by three hits each from
Kadin Bergstrom and
Alex Perez.
Game 1
- Rockford scored eight runs over the first three innings to seize control of the game.
- Joseph Stagowski blasted a three-run home run in the top of the first, to give the Regents an early 3-0 lead. Two batters later, Kadin Bergstrom crushed a solo home run to make it a 4-0 game.
- The Regents then extended their lead with a single run in the top of the second. Blaise Mace led off the frame with a walk, worked his way over to third via a pair of groundouts and then scored on a wild pitch to make it a 5-0 RU lead.
- Rockford continued to pour it on with a trio of runs in the third. Kadin Bergstrom singled, Zach Fabis doubled and Enrique Melendez Jr. was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. One batter later, Blaise Mace doubled in a pair of runs to make it 7-0. The Regents added one final run on a Cobi Cooper RBI groundout.
- RU starting pitcher Nate Burdin put together his second straight strong performance. Burdin held the Warriors without a hit through 3.1 innings and had five of his first ten outs come via strikeouts.
- WLC was finally able to strike for two runs off four hits in the fourth and cut the Regent lead down to 8-2.
- The Warriors had a chance to chip further into the lead in the fifth, but Nate Burdin struck out the final two batters of the inning to wiggle out of the bases loaded jam and wrap up his day.
- However, Wisconsin Lutheran again threatened in the bottom of the sixth. The Warriors scored one run and had the bases loaded with two outs. Fortunately, Will Hissong entered the game and struck out the very first batter he faced to keep it a 8-3 game.
- The RU offense tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh via a Kadin Bergstrom two-run shot.
- Will Hissong then proceeded to strikeout two of the four batters he faced in the seventh to secure his fifth save of the year and the 10-3 victory.
Game 2
- Wisconsin Lutheran struck for three runs in the bottom of the first despite recording just one hit. The Warriors capitalized on a hit batter and three walks to take an early 3-0 lead.
- Rockford answered with a three-run top of the second. Kadin Bergstrom doubled and Zach Fabis singled to start the inning and cut the WLC lead down to 3-1. The Regents' final two runs came off a Blaise Mace RBI single and a Jake Bilotta RBI double to knot the game at 3-3.
- Rockford then took the lead one inning later with a four-run top of the third. Kadin Bergstrom gave the Regents their first lead of the game on an RBI single to third. A couple of batters later, Enrique Melendez Jr. knocked in two more runs to extend the RU lead to 6-3. Rockford would tack on one more run on a Blaise Mace sacrifice fly .
- WLC responded with a single run in both the bottom of the third and fourth innings, despite having just one combined hit, to chop the RU lead back down to 7-5.
- Kadin Bergstrom got one of those two runs back in the fifth with his third home run of the day.
- The Regents then seemingly put the game out of reach with four more runs in the top of the sixth. Alex Perez and Enrique Melendez Jr. each plated a run with an RBI single, Kadin Bergstrom forced in a run via an RBI walk and Zach Fabis drove in a run off a sacrifice fly.
- However, the scoring spree continued with Wisconsin Lutheran adding three runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. The Warriors strung together three hits, including a two-run double, to make it a 12-8 game.
- Fortunately the Regents sealed the win three more runs in the top of the eighth. Ethan Pedroza and Jared Herzog each drove in a run on an RBI double and Nate Burdin plated a run on a sacrifice fly to give the Regents a 15-8 lead.
- The Warriors were able to scratch across a run in the eighth and two runs in the ninth on an Aiden Montgomery home run, but it was not enough, as Rockford held on for the 15-11 win.
Game 1
- Kadin Bergstrom went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
- Joseph Stagowski finished 1-for-4 with a home run, 3 RBIs and a run scored.
- Blaise Mace was 1-for-2 with a walk, 2 RBIs and a run scored.
- Nate Burdin earned the win to improve his record to 3-1 this year. Burdin went 5 strong innings, allowing just 2 runs and striking out 8 batters.
- Will Hissong picked up his NACC-leading fifth save of the year. Hissong tossed 1.1 innings, allowed no runs or hits and struck out 3 Warriors.
Game 2
- Kadin Bergstrom was just a triple away from the cycle. Bergstrom finished 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a walk, 3 RBIs and 3 runs scored.
- Alex Perez went 3-for-6 with a double, 2 runs scored and an RBI.
- Enrique Melendez Jr. finished 2-for-2 with a walk and 3 RBIs.
- Zach Fabis was 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI.
- Zach Duke finished a perfect 2-for-2 with a run scored.
- Joseph Stagowski went 2-for-3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
- Jake Bilotta was 2-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run scored.
- Alex Easton came into the game in relief to earn his second win of the season. Easton tossed 3.2 innings, allowed 3 runs and struck out 4 batters.
