Box Score 1 | Box Score 2  / Game 1 Box Score (pdf) | Game 2 Box Score (pdf)

Romeoville, Ill. – The Lewis University baseball team swept their doubleheader against University of Illinois-Springfield on Saturday (March 23) with a 6-4 eight-inning victory in game one and a 6-3 seven-inning win in the nightcap at Brennan Field.
 
The Flyers improve to 10-3 on the season and 4-1 GLVC play while the Prairie Stars fall to 2-10 on the year and 1-6 in conference action.
 
“Any time you can pick up two wins in conference, it's a good day,” Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough. “I feel good about the wins and we are off to a good start so far.”
 
Lewis jumped out to a to a two run lead in the first inning of the opening game when junior Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) hit a two-run home run, scoring redshirt senior Zach Stetson (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher).
 
The Flyers tacked on a single run in the second inning after Stetson reached on an error by the UIS second baseman and moved to second on a passed ball. Stetson scored on a base hit by junior Jake Murray (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) to push the Flyers lead to 3-0.
 
Redshirt junior Kyle Thomas (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic) (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic) put Lewis up 4-0 in the sixth inning with a ground out to score senior Michael Schroeder (Crown Point, Ind./North Newton) (Crown Point, Ind./North Newton) from third.
 
UIS tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring four runs as they connected four his and one Lewis error. The Prairie Stars knocked Lewis starting senior pitcher Matt Frahm (McLean, Ill./Olympia) (McLean, Ill./Olympia) out after 6.1 innings of work. He gave up three runs on four hits while striking out two and walking four.
 
In the eighth inning, the Flyers got a lead off walk by junior Kyle Kapka (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect) (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect) who was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kyle Thomas (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic). After sophomore Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) drew the second walk of the inning, Kapka scored the go ahead run on a single up the middle by junior Drew Buddle (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin). Stetson scored the Flyers insurance run, as Barajas came in from third.
 
Senior Derek Thomas (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Kennedy) picked up the win, pitching two thirds of an inning for the Flyers, as he gave up one run on two hits. Sophomore Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) (South Elgin, Ind./St. Charles North) picked up his first save of the season as he pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
 
In the second game, the Flyers got a run in the first inning when Albano scored Stetson from second.
 
Lewis added three more runs to their lead in the second inning. After drawing a walk to get on base, sophomore Anthony Baldassano (Woodridge, Ill./Nazareth) (Woodridge, Ill./Nazareth) stole second and scored on a freshman Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) single to left field. Sparacio advanced to second on a ground out before crossing home plate on a Stetson base hit. Buddle doubled in Stetson to put the Flyers up 4-0.
 
The Prairie Stars scored a run on two hits and one Lewis error in the bottom half of the third to cut into the Flyers' lead, 4-1. In the sixth inning, UIS tacked on two runs on three hits to get within a run of Lewis at 4-3.
 
Lewis closed the door on UIS in the top of the seventh, as Buddle drew a lead off walk and moved up to second on a sacrifice bunt by Murray. Albano advanced Buddle to third on an infield single and scored on  Kapka's sacrifice bunt. Freshman Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) scored Albano with a single to left field to put the Flyers up 6-4.
 
Schroeder (3-0) picked up the victory, scattering eight hits in six innings of work. He allowed three runs, two earned, and struck out five.
 
James Range (0-3) took the loss for the Prairie Stars, giving up four runs on four hits in an inning and a two-thirds of work. He also struck out two and walked two. 
 
The Flyers hit the road for a midweek doubleheader against Upper Iowa on Wednesday (March 27) at 2 PM in Fayette, Iowa.