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RENSSELAER, Ind. – Lewis baseball swept a road Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at No. 27 Saint Joseph's on Sunday by scores of 16-3 and 2-1. It is Lewis' second sweep of a ranked opponent in as many weeks.
Junior Andrew Brauer (Bolingbrook, Ill./Montini/College of DuPage) had the big hit in game two. He singled with two outs and two strikes in the fifth inning to knock in junior Mike Bolling (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep/Triton) and freshman Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs). The hit gave Lewis a 2-1 lead, an advantage they would hold the rest of the way.
Senior Joey Gradney (Rantoul, Ill./Rantoul/Cleveland State) went 6.0 innings of the seven inning contest to get the win and improve his record to 3-2. He struck out seven and walked one. The Pumas' only run came on a solo home run in the third inning.
Sophomore Matt Frahm (McLean, Ill./Olympia) entered the game with no outs in the seventh and a runner on second. He left the Puma base runner at third to end the game. His performance gave Frahm his sixth save of the season.
“When Joey throws strikes his stuff is pretty good and today he was able to get his secondary pitches over for strikes,” head coach Tim McDonough said. “Matt finished the job in the seventh and is starting to establish himself as one of the best closers in the league.”
The Flyers trailed the opening game 2-1 when they exploded for nine runs in the fourth inning. Each of Lewis' first eight batters in the frame recorded singles.
Despite the nine run spot, Lewis kept the pressure on Saint Joseph's by scoring one run in the sixth, one in the seventh and four in the eighth before the 10-run rule was enacted after the home half of the eighth.
“We had the big inning which was great but I was happier with the add-on runs,” McDonough said. “We kept taking good at bats.”
Brauer had five RBI in the game, including a three-run home run in the eighth inning. The Flyers lead the GLVC with 22 home runs; however it was just their seventh home run of the season with a runner on base. Lewis' previous six non-solo home runs were all two-run shots.
Bolling had three hits, three run scored and an RBI. Sophomore Brian Norwood (Medinah, Ill./Lake Park) had three hits, including a double, an RBI and a run scored.
Freshman Tom Helwich (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) moved his record to 3-1. He pitched 7.0 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs and a walk.
“Tommy threw strikes and competed in the zone,” McDonough said. “He made some big pitches and gave us seven workmanlike innings.”
Saint Joseph's falls to 18-11-1 (11-5 GLVC). Lewis improves to 17-8 (10-4 GLVC).
Lewis University is a Catholic university offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,000 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares ethically grounded, globally aware, and socially responsible graduates. The ninth largest not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. Visit www.lewisu.edu for further information.
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