Game One HTML Box Score / Game One PDF Box Score
Game Two HTML Box Score / Game Two PDF Box Score

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis baseball split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader with Saint Joseph's on Sunday (April 1) at Brennan Field. Lewis took game one 8-7 before falling in the nightcap 7-1. The Flyers won the opener in dramatic fashion when junior Derek Thomas (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) threw out the potential tying run at the plate from right field for the final out of the game.
 
Lewis opened up a 7-1 advantage in game one thanks to a four spot in the second and three in the third. The big hit in the second came with two outs when senior Andrew Brauer (Bolingbrook, Ill./Montini) (Bolingbrook, Ill./Montini/College of DuPage) doubled with the bases loaded. His double, which landed just a few feet inside the right field foul line near the warning track, drove in all three runners.
 
The three spot in the third was highlighted by a two-RBI single by freshman Anthony Baldassano (Woodridge, Ill./Nazareth) (Woodridge, Ill./Nazareth).
 
The Pumas scored in every inning from the third on. By the middle of the sixth it was a 7-6 Lewis lead. The Flyers plated what would prove to be an important insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Michael Schroeder (Crown Point, Ind./North Newton) (Crown Point, Ind./North Newton/Triton) singled in Brauer for the tally.
 
In the seventh, sophomore Tom Durkin (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) came in to pitch and Thomas entered in right field as a defensive replacement. Saint Joseph's started the inning with a single by Joe Pudlo and a double by Jake Roberts which scored Pudlo to make it 8-7. Roberts was sacrificed over to third for the first out of the inning. Jack Teah then lifted a fly ball to right field. Thomas ranged under the ball, made the catch, and then delivered a strike to home plate. Junior catcher Brian Norwood (Medinah, Ill./Lake Park) (Medinah, Ill./Lake Park) moved up the line a bit and caught the ball on the fly just before it hit the ground. Norwood turned to his left to tag out Roberts to end the game.
 
“Derek did everything right on the play,” Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. “Brian came out to catch it and put the tag on. It was a game saver after we squandered a 7-1 lead and gave them some life.”
 
Thomas' throw preserved the win for Lewis starter junior Matt Frahm (McLean, Ill./Olympia) (McLean, Ill./Olympia). Frahm allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings. He is now 4-1. Durkin picks up his first save of the year. Phil Trowbridge allowed seven runs in two innings to earn the loss. He is now 2-3.
 
Brauer finished game one 3-for-4 with a run scored and three RBI thanks to his double. Baldassano also had three hits in the game.
 
Game two wasn't nearly as exciting for the Flyers. Saint Joseph's scored one in the second, two in the fourth, three in the sixth and one in the ninth. Lewis' only run came on an RBI single by Schroeder in the sixth.
 
Freshman Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in five innings. He is now 0-1 on the season. Jordan Peterson picked up the win thanks to allowing just an unearned run in seven innings. Peterson is now 1-0.
 
“(Peterson) pitched a really good game and kept us off balance,” McDonough said. “You always want two but we'll take 3-of-4 (for the weekend).
 
Saint Joseph's is now 5-20 (4-8 GLVC) while Lewis is 17-7 (8-4 GLVC).
 
The Flyers are next in action on Tuesday in a GLVC doubleheader at UW-Parkside. Start time is noon.