SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Lewis baseball split a Great Lakes Valley Conference doubleheader at Illinois Springfield on Friday (April 8) on a cold and windy day in Illinois' capital city. The Flyers won game one 9-7 and lost a slugfest in game two 15-12. The games were originally scheduled to be played in Romeoville, but were moved to Springfield due to weather. The Flyers were the home team for both contests.

Game One – Lewis 9, UIS 7 (HTML Box | PDF Box)
The Flyers put five runs on the board in the second inning thanks to five hits and a hit batter in the frame. Senior Chris Pikoulas (Frankfort, Ill./Carl Sandburg) and sophomore Neal Tyrell (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) both singled in two runs in the inning. Freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) also knocked in a run on a fielder's choice.

Pikoulas earned his third RBI of the game the next half inning when he hit a two-out solo home run to center to put the Flyers up 6-0.

Lewis earned an impressive start from Alex Shake (Glasford, Ill./Canton). The junior allowed just one hit with 10 strikeouts in six shutout innings. Shake is now 4-1 with the win.

"It was a very difficult day to pitch and Alex had swing and miss stuff which we really needed," Lewis head coach Tim McDonough said.

Shake exited after six, before the Prairie Stars scored four times in the seventh. Lewis quickly grew their lead again with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Junior Brandon Collins (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln Way North) supplied a two-out, two RBI single to put the Flyers up 9-4. Lewis held on from there.

Senior Phil Warner (South Elgin, Ill./St. Charles North) threw the ninth to get his fourth save of the year.

Jose Marin is 1-3 after suffering the loss for UIS.

Sophomore Sam Cybulski (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Lyons Township) finished with three hits.  

Game Two – UIS 15, Lewis 12 (HTML Box | PDF Box)
The nightcap was a wild affair with five lead changes. It was tied at eight going into the sixth when UIS took the lead for good with a four spot. The Flyers made it interesting by answering UIS' four runs with three of their own in the bottom half of the sixth inning of the seven inning game to make the score 12-11. But UIS put the game away thanks to three runs in the top of the seventh.

Collins and freshman Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) each had four hits in game two. Collins had a home run to leadoff the bottom of the first. Bloom hit two home runs, both solo shots. They came in the third and sixth.

The three hour and 15 minute game saw both teams record 15 hits.

"I was proud of our resolve offensively," McDonough said. "The guys really competed in the box. Unfortunately in game two we just couldn't seem to put up the zero we needed. I'm confident we will bounce back tomorrow."

Kyle Strepek earned the win for UIS in relief. He is 1-1  Freshman Robert Talarico (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) took the loss for Lewis. He is 0-2.

UIS is now 14-13 (6-4 GLVC). Lewis is 16-9 (6-4 GLVC). The two clubs will play another doubleheader on Saturday (April 9) in a noon start at UIS.