KISSIMMEE, Fla. - A three-run sixth inning kick-started seven unanswered runs for the Lewis baseball team as it rallied from a five-run deficit to defeat Cedarville 9-7 Wednesday (March 7).
After two runs in the top of the first for the Flyers (3-6), the Yellow Jackets (3-7) responded with seven runs over the first five innings to take a 7-2 lead.
But the Flyers wouldn't quit. They scored three in the sixth, one in the seventh and two in the eighth to take the lead and one more in the ninth for an insurance run as they would go on to win the game.
The Flyers opened the scoring when
Ethan Bloom (Schaumburg, Ill./Hoffman Estates) doubled, scoring
Connor Rutherford (DePere, Wis./DePere). A
Jermaine Terry (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield South) groundout let to a run scored from
Brandon Post (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) and a 2-0 advantage.
The Lewis rally started with two outs in the sixth when
Trayvon Johnson (Berkeley, Ill./St. Joseph's) singled and
Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) doubled, scoring Johnson.
Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) reached on an error, scoring Tittle and
Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) singled, scoring Rios.
It was another two-out rally in the top of the seventh as Bloom doubled and Terry walked, setting up a RBI single from Johnson. After Schefske reached on an error in the top of the eighth, Rutherford made Cedarville pay by belting his fifth homer of the year and third in as many games to give the Flyers an 8-7 lead. Johnson added the insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run.
Johnson finished the game going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. Rutherford (2 runs scored, 2 RBI) and Bloom each added a pair of hits.
Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) (1-0) earned the win, pitching four scoreless innings in relief, allowing three hits and striking out three.
Brady Kostecki (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) picked up his third save by pitching a scoreless ninth. Marc Russell (0-1) took the loss for Cedarville.
The Flyers' Florida trip continues Thursday (March 8) with a rematch against Minnesota State at 9:30 a.m.
