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

Jacksonville, Ill. – The Lewis University baseball team opened up the Great Lakes Valley Conference schedule swinging the bats to collect two big victories over Quincy, 7-5 and 11-8, on Saturday (March 15) at Lenz Field.
 
The Flyers improve to 8-6 on the year and 2-0 in GLVC action while the Hawks fall to 1-8 on the season and 0-2 in league play.
 
"It was good to see the guys swing the bat well up and down the line up today," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "Our pitchers were able to find a way to hold a good hitting Quincy team at bay."
 
Down 2-1 through three innings, Lewis seniors Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) and Kyle Kapka (Mount Prospect, Ill./Prospect) opened the fourth inning with a single and double before sophomore Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) scored Albano with a groundout to the Hawks' shortstop Kenny May. Sophomore Cale Robinson (Weldon, Ill./Clinton) collected a two-out RBI when Kapka scored on his single to left field to push the Flyers ahead 3-2.
 
Lewis added three more runs in the top of the fifth, as Albano hit a two-run line drive home run to right centerfield, scoring junior Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth). Robinson again scored Kapka with a single to right field to go up 6-2.
 
Lewis game one starter junior Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) was able to work out of a jam in the eighth, only allowing one run to the Hawks after giving up three hits in the frame.
 
Albano collected his third hit and third RBI of the game in the top of the ninth with a towering home run to left centerfield to give the Flyers a late insurance run, at 7-4.
 
Quincy was able to scratch a fifth run across in the bottom of the frame, but junior reliever Dylan Cysewski (Crystal Lake, Ill./Crystal Lake Central) collected the save as he ended the game with a strikeout.
 
On the mound for the Flyers for eight innings, Cox (3-0) gave up four runs on nine hits, walked two and struck out five Hawks to earn the win.
 
Quincy's Jake Peterson (0-2) was credited with the loss after giving up six runs on nine hits over 4.2 innings of work. Peterson also struck out seven Flyers and walked two.
 
In the second game, the Flyers had a 11-1 lead on the Hawks after posting seven runs in the third inning to break a 1-1 tie and added three more in the fourth. Lewis put pressure on the Quincy defense as they collected five singles and capitalized on two Hawk miscues to score seven runs in the third inning, including Albano stealing home.
 
After Albano and Kapka drew back-to-back walks in the fourth inning, Mastela and sophomore Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) followed with back-to-back singles to each collect a RBI. Robinson reached on an error by Quincy leftfielder Mitchell Broughton, which scored Mastela for the Flyers third run of the inning.
 
Quincy didn't go down quietly, posting six runs on Lewis in the bottom of the fourth, all crossing the plate with two outs in the inning. The Hawks tallied six hits, four for extra bases, and capitalized on a Flyer miscue in the frame.
 
The Hawks added a single run to the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, connecting a walk and a double, before Lewis reliever Kyle Klosak (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) was able to end the inning with a strikeout.
 
Lewis starter freshman Sam Couch (Bolingbrook, Ill./Joliet Catholic) collected his third win of the season after giving up seven runs (six earned) on nine hits while striking out three. Freshman Brad Elmore (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) tallied his first collegiate save, giving up one hit as he worked the seventh.
 
Quincy's Oswald Silvestre (0-2) was tagged with the loss, giving up eight runs (one earned) on five hits and four walks in 2.2 innings of work.
 
The Flyers and Hawks doubleheader originally set for Sunday (March 16) at Lenz Field will now be played on Monday (March 17) at QU Stadium, due to winter weather heading into the area. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12 PM.