From University of Chicago Athletics
The University of Chicago baseball team split Sunday's doubleheader at Rockford University in a pair of high-scoring games.
The day of baseball left the Maroons at an even 13-13 while the Regents ended the slate of games at 15-17.
Game One – UChicago 12, Rockford 10
The Maroons took the front half of the doubleheader by banging out 18 hits and totaling 12 runs.
Junior outfielder Nicholas Toomey reached base in 5-of-6 plate appearances, going 3-for-4 with two walks and an RBI. Six different Maroons had at least two hits with sophomore first basemen Michael Davis (4-for-5, 1 RBI), freshman second basemen Max Brzostowski (3-for-6, 3 RBI) and the aforementioned Toomey leading the way. Freshman outfielder Josh Parks (2 RBI), freshman catcher Ian Bohn and junior shortstop Ryan Krob each collected two hits apiece.
Senior pitcher Lucas Friss started the 2:00 PM tilt for the visitors. He turned in 5.1 innings of 11-hit, 8-run (6 earned), one-walk and three-strikeout baseball before handing the ball off to the bullpen. Freshman Ravi Bakhai (2.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 3 BB, 2 K) received the win to improve to 2-0 while Davis (1 IP, 1 BB) earned his third save of the season.
Rockford got the scoring started in the bottom of the first with a two-run inning. However, the Regents' lead was short lived as the Maroons scored a run in their half of the second and then three more in the third to jump ahead 4-2. No lead was safe in this game though and in the bottom half of the inning, the home team jumped back ahead 5-4 with a three-run rally of its own.
In the top of the fifth, the Maroon offense was back to business. Krob singled to lead the inning off before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Then with one out on the board, Davis was hit to put runners at first and second. Rockford recorded the inning's second out when senior third basemen Tim Sonnefeldt hit a fly ball to deep enough right field to put runners at the corners. After a wild pitch and a walk drawn by sophomore designated hitter Matt Slodzinski, the visitors had the bases loaded. Brzostowski didn't let the opportunity slide, slapping a double down the right field line to score two Maroons, giving his team a 6-5 lead. The Regents elected to switch pitchers, and UChicago freshman outfielder Connor Hickey greeted the new arm with a two-RBI single. By the time the side was retired, the visitors had snatched an 8-5 advantage.
The home team got one run back in the bottom half of the fifth. But the Maroon offense wasn't done yet, hanging another two runs on Rockford pitching in the top of the sixth. Back-to-back doubles started the frame; first Krob went down the left field line then Parks drove the baseball to dead center. A Davis single put runners at the corners with nobody out and then Sonnefeldt lifted a sacrifice fly to center field to score Parks. Midway through the sixth, UChicago held a 10-6 lead.
Rockford came roaring back in the bottom half of the sixth with four runs of their own, tying the game at 10. The tie did not last long though, and after Toomey advanced all the way to third on two wild pitches, a throwing error scored him to give the Maroons an 11-10 lead in the seventh. The visitors added an insurance run in the top half of the eighth after Toomey drew a bases-loaded walk. The Maroons' two-run advantage would stand as Davis closed out the ninth.
Game Two – Rockford 12, UChicago 2
In the nightcap, Rockford evened the day's results by scoring four in the fifth inning and six in the sixth inning en route to a 12-2 win in seven innings.
Toomey stayed hot in the second game, accounting for half of UChicago's hits by going 2-for-4 while also working a walk. Freshman pitcher Brenton Villasenor started the game for UChicago and absorbed the loss, dropping his record to 1-5 after turning in five innings with eight runs (three earned), six hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Sophomore Robert Fuentes (0+ IP, 2 BB, 2 ER) and freshman Isaac Johnston (1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 1 K) both pitched in relief.
UChicago tallied single runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Krob drove in one run with a fielder's choice and Toomey singled through the right side for an RBI as well.