April 3, 2010

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Game 1 Box Score in PDF Format

Game 2 Box Score in PDF Format

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Lewis baseball team took the opener of a doubleheader with No. 19 Northern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon 10-5 to win the four-game series following a doubleheader sweep on Friday. The Flyers rallied all the way back from a 10-0 deficit in game two to advance the tying run to third in the eighth inning, however Lewis would end up dropping the game 17-12.

In game one, Lewis took the lead for good at 3-2 on a two-run home run by junior Ryan Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./LeRoy) in the second inning. The Flyers broke it open with a five spot in the third. Sophomore Michael Wido (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) had a two-RBI single in the frame. Freshman Brian Norwood (Medinah, Ill./Lake Park) slammed a three-run home run, the first of his career. Lewis scored one in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by freshman Zach Stetson (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher). The Flyers scored one more in the sixth on a RBI single by junior Richard Forkin (Orland Park, Ill./Lockport).

Sophomore Pat Lahey (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) threw a seven inning complete game to get the victory. He scattered 14 hits and two walks. NKU left nine on base in the game. Lahey improves his record to 3-1. Jarrett Casey (3-3) took the loss for NKU.

"There is something to be said for making a big pitch to get out of trouble and Pat did that today," head coach Tim McDonough said. "I thought a big key was the add-on runs late in the game. I think that kept momentum on our side."

After both teams went 1-2-3 in the first inning of game two, things got ugly in the second when Northern Kentucky scored eight in the frame. They made it a 10-0 game with two runs in the third.

The Flyers didn't roll over and scored three runs in the third, fourth, seventh and eighth innings to make it a 13-12 game after NKU scored one in the fourth and two in the sixth.

"When we got down I told the guys to forget the 1 in front of their score and play the game like a 0-0 game," McDonough said. "The guys responded and made Northern Kentucky nervous down the stretch. They didn't get selfish and showed a lot to the coaching staff."

Junior Tyler Newsome (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist/South Suburban CC) had three, Forkin had two and junior Miguel Amesquita (Hometown, lll./Brother Rice/Triton) had one RBI in the push. Stetson hit a three-run home run to right field in the seventh to cut the deficit to 13-9. Sophomore Vince Campagna (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) had a two-out, pinch-hit two RBI single in the eighth to make it a 13-12 game. Following an NKU throwing error which should have ended the inning, Campagna stood on third when sophomore Cameron Anello (Homer Glen, Ill./Brother Rice) came off the bench to pinch hit. However he was set down on strikes to end the Lewis threat.

NKU tallied four insurance runs in the top of the ninth to dash Lewis' hopes of completing their comeback.

Freshman Matt Frahm (McLean, Ill./Olympia) took the loss to drop his record to 1-4. He gave up 10 runs, five earned, in 2.2 innings of work. Ryan Schmidt (3-1) earned the win for NKU. Kevin Jordan earned his third save.

The Flyers won the four-game series over the two-time defending Great Lakes Valley Conference champion Norse 3-1.

"I think we showed we can be an elite team," McDonough said of the weekend. "You need to win three-of-four at home and we did that to stay in good position to get where we want to be in the conference."

The Flyers are now 17-16 on the year and 8-8 in the GLVC. The eight conference wins match Lewis' total last season. NKU is 21-10 and 10-4 in the GLVC.

Lewis returns to action on Thursday with a non-conference home game against Saint Xavier at 2 p.m.