May 1, 2010

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Game 1 Box Score in PDF Format
Game 2 Box Score in PDF Format

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Senior Joe Scumaci (Chicago, Ill./St. Laurence/Triton) showed why he is the ace of the Lewis pitching staff with a complete game, 10 strikeout performance in game two against St. Joseph's on Saturday. His outing helped the Flyers take the nightcap 2-1 after St. Joseph's earned a win in the first game 17-3.

Scumaci allowed just four hits and walked one. Scumaci moved his record to 8-2, the most wins for a Lewis pitcher since 1997. St. Joseph's lone run of game two came in the third on a solo home run by Joe Pudlo to right field.

St. Joseph's loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth. However Scumaci delivered with a strikeout to end the threat.

Pudlo singled in the seventh inning with one out which set up an unorthodox double play to end the game. Scumaci struck out Nate Weglarz and as Lewis catcher Michael Fedoruk (Norridge, Ill./Notre Dame) tried to fire down to second to throw out Scott Kubo, who pinch ran for Pudlo, the batter Weglarz was called for interfering with Fedoruk's attempt to do so. The runner was ruled out and Lewis had a victory.

"We talk about winning as a team and that's been our mantra," head coach Tim McDonough said. "But in game two Joe put the team and program on his back and led us to a big victory."

The Flyers scored the only two runs they would need in the first inning. Junior Tyler Newsome (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist/South Suburban CC) and freshman Brian Norwood (Medinah, Ill./Lake Park) had RBI in the frame. From there on it was the Scumaci show.

"It was big for us to come out and get those two quick runs in game two," McDonough said. "I think it settled us down a bit."

Chris Chojnowski took the loss for St. Joseph's, falling to 2-1.

The pitcher's duel in game two was a contrast to the offense put up by St. Joseph's in game one.

St. Joseph's got out of the gates in a big way with a four spot in the first of game one. The frame was highlighted by a 3-run home run by Sean Estand. St. Joseph's added to their lead in the top of the second with solo shots by Wade Finke and another by Estand. A Matt Foltz solo shot led off the third to make it 7-0. Finke hit another solo home run to lead off the fourth and make it 8-0. Following a hit batter, Estand hit his third home run of the game, to make it 10-0. St. Joseph's added four more in the inning to make it 14-0 after three and a half innings.

Lewis scored one in the fourth and added two in the sixth, on a two-RBI single by Newsome. However that would be the extent of Lewis' offense in game one.

St. Joseph's finished their scoring with three in the seventh.

Eric Meyerchick (7-4) earned the victory for St. Joseph's, going eight innings and allowing three runs (two earned).

Steve Almanza (Glendale, Ariz./Horizon) took the loss for Lewis, dropping his record to 4-4. He allowed 10 runs, nine earned, in three plus innings.

St. Joseph's is now 28-20 (14-12 Great Lakes Valley Conference). Lewis is 27-26 (15-14 GLVC). Lewis' 15 conference wins are the most since 18 in 1997.

Lewis and St. Joseph's play again on Sunday in a doubleheader at noon.