ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis baseball split a home doubleheader with Southern Indiana on Friday (April 17) afternoon at Brennan Field. Lewis led wire-to-wire in game one 6-5 before falling in game two 16-4 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference twin bill. Junior Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) knocked in three runs in each game.

Game One – Lewis 6, Southern Indiana 5 (HTML Box Score / PDF Box Score)
The Flyers broke out to a 5-0 lead in the opener. Lewis put two runs on the board in the first thanks to RBI singles by Mastela and junior Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine).

Junior Brandon Collins (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way North) doubled in a run in the second. Two more runs came in with two outs on a double by Mastela. Lewis benefited from a bright sun as the Southern Indiana left fielder fought the sun trying to make the catch on what on a cloudy day would have likely been a fly out.

Southern Indiana made it a 5-4 game after four runs in the fourth. The big hit was a two-run home run by Trent Gunn.

Following a run by Lewis in the sixth, Southern Indiana advanced within one again at 6-5 with a run in the top of the seventh. However the score stayed right there after sophomore pitcher Brad Elmore (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) left runners at first and second to end the inning. Senior Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) threw a scoreless eighth. Sophomore Sam Couch (Bolingbrook, Ill./Joliet Catholic) entered in the ninth and worked his fifth save of the season thanks to some solid defense behind him. Southern Indiana doubled with one out and a runner on first, but Hamilton Carr was thrown out at the plate on a well executed relay throw for out number two. The next batter lined out to third for out number three.

"You have to credit our bullpen they did a great job," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "Brad, Phil and Sam cleaning it up."

Senior Tom Helwich (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) went 6.0 innings for the Flyers, allowing five runs on six hits with four strikeouts. He won his third consecutive decision to move his mark to 3-3. USI starter Ben Wright took the loss (2-5). He allowed six runs in 5.1 innings.

Mastela had four hits in game one. Collins and freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) each had three hits.

Game Two – Southern Indiana 16, Lewis 4 (HTML Box Score / PDF Box Score)

Game two got away from the Flyers in the second inning on an eight spot by the Screaming Eagles. The big hit came after an error kept the inning going for Gunn to hit a grand slam to center field.

Mastela hit his eighth home run of the season in the fifth on a two-run shot. He finished with three RBI in the game.

Lewis starter Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) allowed eight runs (three earned) in 2.0 innings. He received the loss and is now 5-3. Alex Holder went 6.0 innings for the win for Southern Indiana (4-0).

Southern Indiana is 16-17 (13-13 GLVC). Lewis is 16-19 (11-15 GLVC). The Flyers and Screaming Eagles play a doubleheader on Saturday at noon at Brennan Field.