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ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – As the temperature dropped Wednesday (April 8) afternoon, Lewis starting pitcher freshman Dalton Hottle (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) kept heating up. He allowed just one run in a 9.0 complete game effort to earn his first career victory. His performance helped Lewis baseball defeat Saint Xavier 7-1 in the non-conference contest at Brennan Field.

Hottle finished with a line of nine hits, eight strikeouts and no walks. His mark is now 1-1.

"Dalton threw a tremendous game today," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "It was great to see him get his first college win by throwing a complete game. He was in control from the first inning and I felt he got stronger and better as the game went on."

Hottle faced his biggest challenge in the fourth inning when the Cougars loaded the bases with one out. However Hottle worked out of it thanks to a strikeout and a fly out.

Lewis gave Hottle immediate support thanks to three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Five of the first six batters reached base by a single. The other did so by a walk. The line kept moving along with freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates), senior Kelton Zimmerman (Glen Ellyn, Ill./St. Francis) and junior Chris Pikoulas (Frankfort, Ill./Carl Sandburg) each earning an RBI in the inning.

Senior Jared Pyatt (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) had two hits, two walks, a RBI and a run scored in the game. Senior Mark Kornacker (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) finished with two hits, a RBI and a run scored. Lewis out-hit Saint Xavier 13-9 with eight of Lewis' starters recording a hit.

"We didn't walk anyone and didn't make any errors and that combination usually leads to victories," McDonough said. "Offensively we got production up and down the lineup."

Saint Xavier threw seven pitchers with starter Matthew McKenzie (1-4) taking the loss after allowing three runs in the first.

Saint Xavier falls to 6-21. Lewis improves to 11-16. The Flyers return to Great Lakes Valley Conference action on Saturday in a noon doubleheader at UIS.