March 27, 2005

Game 1 Box Score

Game 2 Box Score

ROMEOVILLE - Outstanding pitching and errorless defense lifted the Lewis University baseball team to a 1-0, 4-3 Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader sweep over Southern Illinois Edwardsville Sunday afternoon at Brennan Field.

Game one saw Flyer right-hander Joe Walsh allow just three singles, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. Walsh (1-3) faced 23 batters - only two more than the minimum for a 7-inning game - and was aided by two double plays and a runner caught stealing. He retired seven successive hitters to end the game, and no SIUE runner reached second base.

Lewis scored the only run of the game in the fifth. Kevin Tyrrell led off with a single, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on Dave Tolchin (Lockport, Ill./Romeoville)'s ground ball. With a suicide squeeze on, Tyrrell crossed the plate when the pitch eluded the SIUE catcher.

SIUE's Adam Tallman (1-2), who allowed just two hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, was saddled with the loss.

Lewis right-hander Jon Crettol followed Walsh's lead and tossed 8 1/3 strong innings in the nightcap. Crettol (2-2) yielded three earned runs, nine hits and four walks and was helped by three double plays.

SIUE (9-6, 4-4 GLVC) scored a run in the first, but Lewis right fielder Andy Radak gunned down a Cougar runner at the plate to complete a double play and limit the damage.

The Flyers (4-16, 2-6 GLVC) tied it in the fourth and took a 2-1 lead in the fifth. A walk to Brandon Niewinski and singles by Phil Marchinski and Victor Naut loaded the bases, and Radak's sacrifice fly scored Niewinski to pull Lewis even. In the fifth, Mike Sisti led off with a single, went to third on a throwing error and scored on Tyrrell's single.

The Cougars tied it in the sixth, but Lewis took the lead for good with a two-out run in the bottom half off reliever David Briesacher (0-1). Brian Clancy and Jim Gabriel singled and advanced on a wild pitch, Billy Duffy was intentionally walked to load the bases and Mike Smith (Lemont, Ill./Lemont)'s single scored Clancy.

Lewis made it 4-2 with an unearned run in the seventh. SIUE scored on a bases-loaded walk in the ninth, but Flyer reliever Adam Stabosz stopped the bleeding to notch his first save.

The Flyers travel to Saint Joseph's Tuesday for a GLVC doubleheader beginning at noon.