March 25, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
FAYETTE, Iowa - Lewis topped Upper Iowa 14-13 and 5-2 in nine innings on Wednesday afternoon in two dramatic finishes. The Flyers trailed 9-7 with two outs in the seventh before scoring seven runs and holding on for the game one win. In game two, senior Ryan Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./LeRoy) slammed his second homer of the day in the top of the ninth for an extra innings night cap victory.
"Ryan has been the most consistent of our hitters this year and he came through today," head coach Tim McDonough said.
Lewis recorded 14 hits in the game one victory. The Flyers took a 6-4 lead thanks to three funs in the top of the fourth. Koerner led the inning off with a home run. Senior Chris McCall (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest/College of DuPage CC) and junior Ted Bartnik (Diamond, Ill./Coal City/Illinois Valley CC) each had a RBI in the inning.
The Peacocks scored five runs in the fifth to take a 9-6 lead. Lewis made it 9-7 with a run in the sixth on a two-out RBI single by McCall.
The Flyers had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh when things got cooking. Sophomore Mike Vucsko (Evergreen Park, Ill./Marist) kept the game alive with a single to load the bases. Lewis was down to their final strike when freshman Cameron Anello (Homer Glen, Ill./Brother Rice) singled up the middle to knot the score at nine. Lewis took the lead when junior Scott Householder (Berwyn, Ill./St. Josephs/Triton) followed with a double to knock in Vucsko. The Flyers added three more to take a 14-9 lead to the bottom of the seventh.
Lewis needed all seven runs as the Peacocks came back with four of their own in the bottom of the inning to make the final 14-13.
Bartnik, who walked and scored in the seventh for the Flyers, earned the victory to move his mark to 1-1 thanks to a scoreless sixth inning on the mound. Junior Joe Scumaci (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence/Triton) got the save.
McCall finished with three RBI. Anello and freshman Michael Wido (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) each had two.
Game featured less runs but as much drama. Lewis took a 2-1 lead on two runs in the top of the sixth. Senior Ryan Reynolds (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score senior Koerner, who led the inning off with a single. Sophomore Richard Forkin (Orland Park, Ill./Lockport) doubled with two outs to score Anello.
The Peacocks tied it with a run in the sixth. It stayed 2-2 till the top of the ninth. The Flyers had runners on first and third with two outs when Koerner slammed a home run to left to make it 5-2. Upper Iowa couldn't tie it up in the bottom half of the inning and the Flyers had a doubleheader sweep.
Sophomore Charles Gille (Rockford, Ill./Boylan Catholic) didn't get the victory but was impressive nonetheless, allowing two runs in seven innings.
"After using six pitchers in the opening game we needed Chuck (Gille) to go deep," McDonough said. "He hit his spots and really pitched well. With a four game conference series this weekend we needed that from him."
Freshman Pat Lahey (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) allowed just one hit in the two extra innings to get the win and improve to 2-2.
"It was tough weather out there with the cold and wind," McDonough said. "I thought we did a good job of grinding it out, staying up and not giving in to the conditions."
Upper Iowa falls to 5-9. Lewis jumps back over .500 to 10-9. Lewis returns to conference play this weekend with doubleheaders at Southern Indiana on Saturday and Sunday.
