ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis' baseball team won its home opener over Indianapolis, 3-2 on Tuesday at Brennan Field. The Flyers took two of three from the Greyhounds after splitting the first two games of the series last week in Indianapolis.
Lewis improves to 9-13 on the season and 4-8 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play while Indianapolis falls to 13-10, 6-6 GLVC.
"That was the cleanest game we've played in awhile," Lewis head baseball coach
Tim McDonough said. "It was a much needed win for us."
The Flyers struck first with a run in the third. With one out,
Brandon Post (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) singled to right and went to third on
Anthony Cavalieri's (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) single to right on a hit and run.
Connor Rutherford (DePere, Wis./DePere) worked a walk after a nine pitch at-bat to load the bases for
Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East). Schefske reached on a fielder's choice that allowed Post to score.
The Greyhounds answered right back with two runs in the fourth on Jake Perreira's two-run home run off the scoreboard in left.
Lewis tied the game in the fifth. Cavalieri led off the inning with a single and went to second on Rutherford's walk. Schefske advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt to third.
Andrew Tenison (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) drove in the tying run with a ground out to second.
Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) had a chance to drive in Rutherford but popped out to right to end the inning.
The Flyers had to work out of a jam in the sixth as UIndy had two on with one out but a caught stealing and strike out ended the threat.
Lewis used a two-out rally to regain the lead in the sixth.
Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) started it with a single to left and went to second on a passed ball. Post then beat out an infield single to second as the throw got away which allowed O'Brien to score the go-ahead run.
The 'Hounds had a chance to tie the game in the seventh putting two on with one out but back-to-back ground outs ended the inning.
Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) and
Pete Hamot (Downers Grove, Ill./Downers Grove South) combined to retire six of the final seven hitters they faced to secure the victory.
The Flyers were held to just five hits in the contest but drew 10 walks from UIndy pitching. Post and Cavalieri had four of Lewis' five hits in the contest.
Ryan Ward (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) got the start allowing two runs on six hits over 5.1 with two strikeouts.
Jake Lotz (Palos Hills, Ill./St. Laurence) picked up the win by getting the final two outs of the sixth. Verdun worked around two walks in his two innings of work while Hamot pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.
"Ryan continues to be our most consistent pitcher and came up big again today," McDonough said. "Jake, Matt and Pete were fantastic out of the pen and if we can continue to get efforts like that on the mound we'll be in real good shape."
Lewis takes a break from conference play as it travels to Hammond, Ind., on Thursday to take on Purdue Northwest in a non-conference contest beginning at 1 p.m.
