RENSSELAER, Ind. – The Flyers out-hit the Pumas 23-12 in a Great Lakes Valley Conference baseball doubleheader on Friday (April 24) afternoon but came away with just one win. Lewis lost game one 3-2 before bouncing back in the nightcap for a 5-1 win. Junior Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) had three hits in each game for Lewis.

Game One – Saint Joseph's 3, Lewis 2 (PDF Box Score / HTML Box Score)
The Flyers led 2-1 entering the bottom of the eighth when Saint Joseph's scored twice with two outs. Sophomore Brad Elmore (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) entered on the mound with runners on first and third and one out. He worked a pop up for the second out of the inning but back-to-back Saint Joseph's singles followed to put the Pumas up a run. 

Senior Tom Helwich (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) was the tough luck loser, going 7.1 innings allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits. He is now 3-4.

Lewis took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Sparacio that scored junior Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) from second. The game was tied 1-1 by the Pumas in the bottom of the sixth on an unearned run. Chase Fieldhouse had the RBI double for the Pumas. Lewis regained a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh after senior Mike Barajas (Chicago, Ill./Nazareth) singled to right field scoring senior Kane Lombardo (Forest Park, Ill./Nazareth) from third.  

The Flyers out-hit the Pumas 12-7, with each team recording only one extra base hit. Four Flyers had multiple hits in the game, led by Sparacio's three singles.

"I thought we played really well today," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "Game one was a tough one to lose but you have to give credit to Saint Joseph's for getting the hits when they needed them. Tommy pitched great and deserved to win."

Bruce Anderson Jr. threw 1.2 innings out of the pen for the Pumas to get the win. He is now 4-1. Robet Kametas threw a scoreless ninth for his eighth save of the season.

Game Two – Lewis 5, Saint Joseph's 1 (PDF Box Score / HTML Box Score)
Lewis recorded three doubles in the third inning of game two to chase Saint Joseph's starter Jordan Peterson. The Flyers scored four runs in the frame with freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) doubling in the first two runs. Freshman Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) and Sparacio each added an RBI in the frame. Lewis' fifth run came on a solo home run by Bloom to left field to start the fifth. It is Bloom's third big fly of the year.

The Flyers didn't need much offense with Lewis starter Eann Cox (Erie, Ill./Erie) on the mound. The senior went all seven innings, allowing one run on five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Cox is 6-3. He has six complete games.

Peterson suffered the loss for Saint Joseph's (3-5).

"Our hitters did a great job in game two against a pitcher who has had his way with us in the past in Peterson," McDonough said. "Once we gave Eann a cushion like that, he took care of the rest."

Sparacio finished with three hits and and an RBI. Bloom, Tyrell and senior Kane Lombardo (Forest Park, Ill./Nazareth) each had two hits.

Saint Joseph's is 20-20 (14-15-1 GLVC). The Flyers are 20-20 (14-16 GLVC). The two clubs will take Saturday off due to forecasted rain and return to Gil Hodges Field on the campus of Saint Joseph's on Sunday for a doubleheader starting at noon.