TUCSON, Ariz. - The Rockford University baseball team rallied form down eight runs in the sixth inning to defeat Crown College 13-11. Rockford trailed 10-2 entering the sixth but scored a run in the sixth, four in the seventh and six in the eighth to take the lead.
Joseph Stagowski blasted a three-run home run to give the Regents a 12-11 advantage, and
Aaron Monti added an insurance run later in the frame on an RBI double. The RU bullpen was sensational on Thursday.
Arys Gil allowed just one run over 3.1 innings of work to earn his first collegiate win.
Joseph Becker III then came in and faced the minimum number of batters in the ninth to earn his first save as a Regent.
- The game seemed to get off to a good start with Rockford plating a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Zach Fabis singled in a run, and Aaron Monti drove in the other on a sacrifice fly to center to give Rockford a quick 2-0 lead.
- However, things quickly went downhill as Crown scored in each of the next five innings to grab a commanding 10-2 lead.
- The Regents slowly began to chip away at the deficit with a single run in the sixth. Zach Fabis crushed a one-out triple into right and then scored on a passed ball to make it a 10-3 game.
- Rockford then added four runs in the seventh to get back to within three. Joseph Stagowski and Zach Fabis each recorded RBI doubles and Rockford plated two more runs off Polar errors to chop the deficit down to 10-7.
- Crown was able to get one run back in the bottom of the seventh off two hits.
- The Regents then exploded for six runs in the top of the eighth. Rockford sent 11 batters to the plate and had five hits, including four extra base hits. Blaise Mace and Cobi Cooper laced back-to-back RBI doubles into left field to make it an 11-9 game. A couple of batters later, Joseph Stagowski crushed a three-run home run over the left field wall to put Rockford back in front 12-11. Aaron Monti capped off the inning with an RBI double to extend the Regents' lead to 13-11.
- Reliever Arys Gil did an excellent job holding down the Crown offense to give his team a chance to mount a comeback. Gil got the final out in the fifth and then allowed just one run over the next three innings. He also retired five of the final six batters he faced to send Rockford into the ninth with the lead.
- Fellow reliever Joseph Becker III entered the game in the ninth looking for his first save as a Regent. Becker struck out the first batter he faced and then two hitters later, recorded a double play to end the game and seal the win.
- Joseph Stagowski finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs, a home run, a double and 3 runs scored.
- Zach Fabis was just a home run away from the cycle. Fabis went 3-for-5 with a triple, a double, 2 RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored.
- Blaise Mace went 1-for-5 with a double, 2 runs scored, 2 stolen bases and an RBI
- Arys Gil pitched 3.1 inning in relief. Gil allowed just one run and struck out 2 batters to earn the win.
- Joseph Becker III tossed a scoreless ninth to earn the save.
