ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – For a second straight day Lewis baseball split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader with Saint Joseph's on Sunday (April 17). The Flyers won game one 5-3 and fell in game two 16-8.

Game One – Lewis 5, Saint Joseph's 3 (HTML Box | PDF Box)
Down 2-0 after a pair of unearned runs for the Pumas in the top of the second, Lewis' bats went to work with two outs in the second. They scored all five of their runs in the frame. First it was a single by sophomore Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka). Senior Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport) doubled to left to score a pair and give Lewis a 3-2 lead. Sophomore Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) followed with a single and then scored on a triple by senior Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) to deep left field.

The five runs would be all the output Lewis would need. Sophomore Dalton Hottle (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) went 5.0 innings, allowing five hits. Each of the three runs he surrendered were unearned. Junior Nick Davito (Crest Hill, Ill./Lockport) pitched a perfect sixth and seventh for his second save of the year. He recorded three strikeouts.

"Nick has been great the last the last couple times out when we've put him in some different situations," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said. "Today in the sixth he looked so good we decided to let him close it out."

Game Two – Saint Joseph's 16, Lewis 8 (HTML Box | PDF Box)
The Pumas jumped out to a 7-0 lead after an inning and a half of game two. Saint Joseph's Brendan Rivera hit a two-run home run in the first and then a three-run home run in the second. He finished the game a triple short of the cycle.

Despite the early deficit, the Flyers made it interesting. Lewis scored four in the bottom of the third to make it a 7-4 game. The big hit was a two-RBI triple by senior Austin Mastela (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport).

The Pumas responded with five straight runs to take control again. A three-run seventh inning for the Flyers made the score 12-8, but the Pumas put it away with a four-run ninth.

"Today was two good teams battling it out," McDonough said. "Saint Joe's did a good job in game two playing with a sense of urgency. We did a nice job of chipping away at it and I think we made them nervous for awhile but credit them."

The Flyers had 12 hits in game two with Becker recording three. Tyrell and senior Joe Sparacio (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) each had two hits.

Junior Jake Herron (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) started for the Flyers. He went an inning plus and took the loss. He is now 3-3. The Flyers chased Saint Joseph's starter David Schurr in the third but saw reliever Bruce Anderson allow one run in 4.0 innings to get the win. He is 4-2.

Saint Joseph's is now 20-18 (9-9 GLVC). Lewis is 19-14 (9-7 GLVC). The Flyers return to action on Wednesday in a non-conference doubleheader at Quincy. First pitch against the Hawks is set for 1 p.m.