SOMERS, Wis. – Lewis baseball surrendered only three runs on Tuesday (April 14) afternoon in a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at UW-Parkside. The Flyers fell in game one 2-1 before coming back in game two for a 6-1 win.

Game One – UW-Parkside 2, Lewis 1 (HTML Box Score / PDF Box Score)
Lewis and UW-Parkside could have thrown a singles party in game one with only one of the 16 combined hits in the game going for extra bases. The lone extra base hit was a double by Lewis junior Cale Robinson (Weldon, Ill./Clinton) in the fifth.

"The box score is a little deceiving because we played about as well as we have all year but came up short," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "We swung the bats pretty well but Parkside made some great plays and we hit some balls hard right at them."

Coming off of a weekday complete game win last week, Lewis starting pitcher freshman Dalton Hottle (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) struck out four Rangers in six innings on Tuesday. But he fell to 1-2 on the season after two-out runs in both the second and the sixth innings accounted for both of the Rangers' runs.

"Dalton gave us a great effort and the bullpen gave us a chance," McDonough said. "They got a pair of two-out hits and we didn't. That was the difference."

Senior Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) had the only RBI in the game for the Flyers, scoring senior Kane Lombardo (Forest Park, Ill./Nazareth) with a single to right field in the eighth inning. A two–out single up the middle by freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) was all the Flyers could manage in the ninth as the Rangers closed the door.

UW-Parkside's Riley Phillips (1-1) earned the win after 5.2 shutout innings. John Perez picked up his fourth save of the season for the Rangers.

Game Two – Lewis 6, UW-Parkside 1 (HTML Box Score / PDF Box Score)
The Flyers handed the ball to another freshman in game two. Eric Luecht (Lake In The Hills, Ill./Huntley) went all seven innings for his first collegiate win (1-4). He struck out seven and allowed just one hit, a single in the first inning by Ryan Ruediger.

"Eric had electric stuff and he was about one inch away from throwing a no-hitter," McDonough said. "We needed him to step up which he did."

Lewis tied the game at one with a solo run in the second on an RBI double by junior Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central). The Flyers opened it up in the third with a three-spot. The two-out rally was highlighted by a two-run home run by junior Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport). Junior Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) followed with a single and then scored on a double by Bloom.

Freshman Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) added a RBI single in the fourth. Bloom knocked a home run to left center in the seventh for Lewis' sixth and final run.

Bloom led the Flyers offensively with three hits, two RBI and a run scored in game two.

"Offensively we really executed well and Austin's home run gave us a huge lift," McDonough said.

Rangers starter Nate Stolte gave up four runs in 2.2 innings to see his record drop to 2-2.

UW-Parkside is 9-18 (8-16 GLVC). Lewis is 15-18 (10-14 GLVC). The Flyers host reigning national champion Southern Indiana this weekend. First pitch on Saturday and Sunday is set for noon at Brennan Field.