April 26, 2009
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Three Flyers hit a home run to help Lewis to a 7-5 game two victory in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader with Saint Joseph's on Sunday afternoon. The Flyers lost the first game 6-0.
Lewis struck early in game two on a three-run home run by Scott Householder (Berwyn, Ill./St. Josephs/Triton) in the first. Senior Tim Bingham (Plainfield, Ill./Westland, Mi./John Glenn) made it back-to-back homers with a big fly to center field.
In the second senior Ryan Reynolds (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) singled and scored on a throwing error by the Pumas' second baseman on a single off the bat of sophomore Mike Vucsko (Evergreen Park, Ill./Marist). Two batters later senior Chris McCall (River Forest, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest/College of DuPage CC) joined Bingham by hitting a Senior Day home run to center field. The shot gave Lewis a 7-0 lead.
Sophomore Charles Gille (Rockford, Ill./Boylan Catholic) pitched well but got in some trouble in the fourth when Saint Joseph's hit back-to-back home runs of their own with two outs. Following a walk and a single, Gille worked out of it by getting the Pumas' Nick Eyer to line out.
"Chuck (Gille) did a good job of staying out of the big inning," head coach Tim McDonough said.
Gille worked a 1-2-3 fifth but got into more trouble in the sixth. Following a two-run home run by the Pumas, Gille left the game with runners on first and second. Freshman Drew Hicks (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) entered and allowed a single and one run to score but that was it by earning two outs and keeping the score 7-5.
Lewis held on from there thanks to the bullpen work of Hicks and junior Ted Bartnik (Diamond, Ill./Coal City/Illinois Valley CC). Neither allowed a run and Bartnik pitched the final two innings to get his second save of the year.
"With all the work Drew has this year he must be running on fumes," McDonough said. "But he's grown up a lot this year and has done a great job. Plus it was great to see Ted come in and finish the game."
Gille (1-3) earned the victory in 5.1 innings of work, allowing five runs on eight hits.
In game one freshman Pat Lahey (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) took the loss by allowing four earned runs in four innings pitched. His Achilles' heel was the two-out run, as four of the five runs scored with two outs. His record falls to 2-8. Hicks and Bartnik rounded out the final three innings, giving up just one run on two hits. Sophomore Richard Forkin (Orland Park, Ill./Lockport) had two hits in both game one and game two.
Bingham, senior pitcher Chris Brigham (Bolingbrook, Ill./Romeoville), senior Jeffrey Ithal (Alsip, Ill./Shepard/MacMurray College), McCall and Reynolds were all honored as part of Senior Day. All four position players recorded a hit on Sunday.
"It was nice to send the seniors out with a home victory," McDonough said.
Saint Joseph's is now 30-18 (13-11 GLVC). Lewis improves to 18-28 (6-17 GLVC). The victory ties last season's win total with six games remaining. The Flyers are at Grand Valley State for a non-conference doubleheader on Tuesday. Lewis wraps up GLVC play and the regular season with a doubleheader on Saturday and Sunday at UW-Parkside.
