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

Rensselaer, Ind. – The Lewis University baseball team buckled down in the second game to collect a 4-2 victory to the split the Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader against Saint Joseph's on Sunday (March 30) after falling 11-2 in the first game at Gil Hodges Field.
 
The Flyers move to 11-10 on the year and 5-4 in GLVC play while the Pumas move to 9-14 on the season and 4-6 in league action.
 
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, sophomore Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) hit a one-out double and scored on a single by senior Drew Buddle (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin). Buddle ended up at third on the play as the Pumas centerfielder mishandled the ball. Buddle then scored on a single by sophomore Joel Rotkvich (Crestwood, Ill./St. Laurence) to tie the game at 2-all.
 
The Flyers took a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth when senior Ben Albano (West Dundee, Ill./Jacobs) hit a two-run home run off of the Pumas scoreboard in left centerfield, scoring senior Jake Murray (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove North) after he led off the inning with a single.
 
Senior Kendall Paluch (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) tossed a complete game, allowing two runs on three hits over seven innings. Paluch (1-4) also struck out five Saint Joseph's batters.
 
Saint Joseph's starter Brett Maus (1-4) picked up the loss after throwing four innings, giving up all four runs, three earned, on nine hits. Maus also struck out five batters.
 
"We told the guys after the first game that we needed to do everything a little bit better," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "They did that offensively and defensively, as we got a complete outing from Kendall that helped rest our bullpen."
 
"In those close games, we really need our defense to pick ourselves up and we did that today."
 
In the first game of the doubleheader, the Pumas jumped on the score board first. Saint Joseph's posted single runs in the first and third innings before having four runs cross the plate in the fifth.
 
Lewis scored in the sixth inning when Murray hit a two-run home run to right field, scoring Rotkvich after he drew a walk and stole second base, cutting the Pumas lead to 6-2.
 
Saint Joseph's added five insurance runs over the last three innings of the game.
 
Flyer starter Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) collected the loss, giving up six runs on six hits over five innings of work. Cox (3-2) struck out eight and walked five.
 
Saint Joseph's Jordan Peterson threw a complete nine-inning game to collect the win. Peterson (1-4) gave up two runs on nine hits while striking out nine and walking two.
 
The Flyers return to Gil Hodges Field to take on the Pumas for two more games on Monday (March 31) with first pitch at 1 PM.