ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Thanks to a comeback victory in game one and a dominating pitching performance in game two, Lewis baseball swept a doubleheader from McKendree on Saturday (March 28) at Brennan Field. The Flyers took game one 9-8 in 12 innings and won game two 4-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference twinbill.

Game One – Lewis 9, McKendree 8 (12 innings) (HTML Box / PDF Box)
Things looked bleak for the Flyers after they trailed 8-3 following six and a half innings. However Lewis made it closer with two runs in the seventh. Senior Kelton Zimmerman (Glen Ellyn, Ill./St. Francis) and freshman Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) each had an RBI in the inning. The Flyers wasted little time tying the game in the eighth with the first three hitters scoring in the frame. Junior Brandon Collins (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way North) singled to start the inning followed by a single by junior Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport). Junior Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine)'s hit to center was booted by the Bearcats, allowing two runs to score to make the game 8-7. Becker moved to third on the play and then came around on a sacrifice fly by junior Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central).

The Flyers finally won the game in the 12^th inning on a walk-off walk by junior pinch hitter Chris Pikoulas (Frankfort, Ill./Carl Sandburg) that scored Collins.

Lewis was able to get the game to the 12^th thanks to the pitching out of the pen by sophomore Sam Couch (Bolingbrook, Ill./Joliet Catholic). The reliever threw 4.0 scoreless innings with just one hit allowed. He earned the win to move his record to 1-1. He was part of a Lewis bullpen which allowed just one run over the final 7.1 innings.

"Game one was a great team win," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "I thought our bullpen did a great job giving us a chance and keeping us in the game."

McKendree's Blake Deathrage threw 1.1 innings to suffer the loss. He is now 0-3.

Becker and Collins each had three hits in game one.

It was Lewis' first extra inning game of the season.

Game Two – Lewis 4, McKendree 0 (HTML Box / PDF Box)
The Flyers leaned on senior starting pitcher Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) in game two. He went all 7.0 innings, shutting out the Bearcats on three hits and no walks. Cox is now 4-1.

"Eann was fantastic and in control from inning one," McDonough said. "It was just a matter of when we would get some runs on the board. Once we got a little bit of a cushion I think Eann got a little bit more comfortable."

Lewis' first run of the game came in the third inning on a deep RBI sacrifice fly by Mastela to score senior Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth). Lewis plated two more in the fourth and then a fourth run in the sixth on an RBI double by Collins.

McKendree starter Sam Lidisky (2-3) took the loss after allowing 10 hits and three runs in 5.0 innings.

The Flyers out-hit the Bearcats 12-3 with Lewis' top three hitters going 7-of-12. Collins had three hits in game two.

The Bearcats fall to 3-15 (2-8 GLVC) while Lewis improves to 8-10 (4-6 GLVC). The two clubs will close out the series on Sunday in a doubleheader starting at noon at Brennan Field.