CHICAGO, Ill. - The Rockford University baseball team lost a pair of one-run games, 2-1 and 8-7, on the road Wednesday afternoon to Illinois Tech. The first game was an excellent pitchers' duel between the Regents and Scarlet Hawks, while game two had 15 runs and 17 hits combined between the two teams. The RU pitching duo of
Zach Fabis and
Aaron Monti combined to allow just one earned run and struck out seven batters in the opener. The nightcap was a back-and-forth offensive affair with both teams leading at multiple points in the game. Unfortunately, Illinois Tech scored a trio of runs in the bottom of the eighth to retake the lead and then held on as Rockford stranded the tying run on base in the top of the ninth.
Game 1
- Game one was an excellent pitchers' duel between Rockford's Zach Fabis and Aaron Monti and a slew of Illinois Tech pitchers. Fabis and Monti combined to allow just one earned and struck out seven batters over their eight innings on the mound. Meanwhile, four Scarlet Hawk pitchers combined to allow a single unearned run and also struck out seven batters over their nine innings of work.
- Rockford actually struck first with a run in the top of the fifth. Jake Bilotta got things started with a leadoff single, then stole second and advanced to third on a Scarlet Hawk error. After a walk put runners on the corners and only one out, Kadin Bergstrom drove in Bilotta on a sacrifice fly to center to give Rockford a 1-0 lead.
- Unfortunately, that lead was very short lived. The Scarlet Hawks responded with two runs, one unearned, off two hits in the bottom half of the inning to grab a 2-1 advantage.
- The Regents' had a chance to tie the game in both the eighth and ninth innings.
- In the eighth, Zach Fabis singled and then advanced to second on a wild pitch with no one out. He eventually worked his way over to third but was left stranded to keep the score 2-1 heading into the ninth.
- In the ninth, Nate Burdin and Cobi Cooper began the frame with back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with no one out. Unfortunately, Rockford proceeded to pop out to first and then ground into a double play to end the game.
Game 2
- Game two once again saw the Regents break the scoreless tie, this time in the top of the first inning. Jake Bilotta and Joseph Stagowki began the game with back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Rockford's first run came on a wild pitch and then Bryce Stanton drove in the second run of the game on an RBI single back up the middle.
- Unfortunately, just like in game one, Rockford's lead was extremely short lived. Illinois Tech struck for a trio of runs off four hits in the bottom of the first to take a 3-2 advantage.
- The Scarlet Hawks added another unearned run in the bottom of the second to extend their lead to 4-2.
- The score remained the same until the Regents tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth. Jake Bilotta started the rally with a one-out double. One batter later, Joseph Stagowski crushed his NACC-leading eighth home run of the season to tie the score at 4-4.
- The Regents then regained the lead with two more runs in the sixth. Nate Burdin drove in the first run on an RBI single, and then scored later in the inning on a Scarlet Hawk error to make it a 6-4 RU lead.
- Illinois Tech cut the Regent lead in half in the bottom of the seventh on a triple steal.
- The Scarlet Hawks then scored a trio of unearned runs in the bottom of the eighth off two Rockford errors to retake the lead, 8-6, heading into the ninth.
- The Regents did put up a fight and made things very interesting in the final inning of play. Jake Bilotta began things by getting hit by a pitch, which immediately brought the tying run to the plate. Bilotta would eventually score on a two-out RBI single by Kadin Bergstrom to cut the deficit in half and put the tying run on base. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Hawks retired the next batter to end the game and hold on for the 8-7 win.
Game 1
- Zach Fabis was excellent in his start on the mound. Fabis went 6 innings, allowed just 1 earned run and struck out 3 batters.
- Aaron Monti was also excellent coming out of the bullpen. Monti tossed a pair of hitless and shutout innings and fanned 4 hitters.
- Joseph Stagowski finished 2-for-4 with a double.
- Kadin Bergstrom was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Game 2
- Joseph Stagowski was 2-for-4 with a home run, 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs.
- Jake Bilotta finished 2-for-3 with a double and 3 runs scored.
- Blaise Mace went 3-for-4.
- Starting pitcher Brayden Bidwell went 6 strong innings for Rockford. He allowed just 1 earned run and struck out 4 batters.
