LISLE, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team fell 11-6 on Thursday afternoon in the NACC Tournament to #24 Benedictine University. The Eagles only scored in three innings, but drove in eight of their 11 runs with two outs, including four in the first and four more in the sixth. Rockford battled the entire game, getting a pair of leadoff home runs from
Jared Herzog and a two-run blast off the bat of
Jake Bilotta. Unfortunately, the Eagle offense proved to be too much, as Benedictine belted two home runs of its own en route to the victory. The Regents will now play tomorrow at 4 PM in an elimination game against the loser of the game later today between Concordia Wisconsin and Illinois Tech.
- Rockford jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Jake Bilotta opened the game with a leadoff double and then scored off an Eagle error to give Rockford the first lead of the day.
- Unfortunately, Benedictine responded with four two-out runs in the bottom half of the inning, including back-to-back RBI doubles, to grab a 4-1 advantage.
- The Regents were however able to get one of those runs back in the top of the second. Enrique Melendez Jr. began the inning with a single and worked his way over to third on a groundout and a passed ball. Melendez then scored on a Cobi Cooper RBI bunt to trim the Eagle advantage down to 4-2.
- However, Benedictine's Brennan Fisher launched a three-run home run in the second to put the Eagles up by five at 7-2.
- Rockford was able to answer with another run in the top of the third. Senior Jared Herzog led off the inning with a solo blast over the wall in right center to make it a 7-3 game.
- The Regents then went to the bullpen and turned the game over to Zach Fabis. Fabis allowed just one hit and held the Eagles scoreless over the next three innings to give the RU offense a chance to cut further into the Eagle lead.
- It was once again Jared Herzog who led the Regent attack with another solo home run, this one to begin the fifth, to make just a 7-4 Benedictine lead.
- Unfortunately, Benedictine answered with four two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth, including a David Rubin two-run home run, to break the game wide open.
- Rockford was able to plate a pair of runs in the ninth off a Jake Bilotta two-run home run over the right field wall, but it was not enough, as the Eagles won by a final score of 11-6.
- Jared Herzog finished 2-for-5 with 2 home runs, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
- Jake Bilotta went 2-for-5 with a home run, a double, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored.
- Cobi Cooper was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored.
- Joseph Becker III did not allow a hit or a run and struck out 1 during his 2 innings on the mound.
