ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis' baseball team swept its doubleheader against Rockhurst winning the opener 12-11 and the nightcap 7-6 on Saturday afternoon at Brennan Field. The Flyers improve to 17-18 overall and 12-11 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference while the Hawks drop to 8-26, 5-18 in GLVC play.

"Well it wasn't pretty but we'll take it (the sweep)," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "I thought we had game one in hand but we missed some opportunities to put them away and you have to credit Rockhurst for fighting to get back in the game and take the lead.

"Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) had a huge hit after we lost the lead and we needed it. Obviously Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) gave everyone a great ending with the walk-off home run. Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) had a great day at the plate and it's great to see him get back on track."

Game One – Lewis 12 Rockhurst 11
Lewis jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings in the opener. Rockhurst cut the lead in half scoring twice in the fourth. The Flyers regained their four run cushion on Connor Rutherford's (DePere, Wis./DePere) two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.

Each side scored a run in the fifth and Lewis plated two in the sixth to take a 9-3 lead into the seventh.

The Hawks scored five runs on six hits in the seventh cut the Flyer lead to 9-8 and then added two more in the eighth to grab their first lead of the day at 10-9. Lewis regained the lead on Tittle's two-run triple to left center.

Rockhurst loaded the bases with one out in the ninth and scored the tying run on a bases loaded walk.

Schefske won it for the Flyers hitting his second home run of the contest to right center with two outs in the bottom of the ninth.

Schefske and Rios had three hits apiece for Lewis while Rutherford and Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) had two hits each.

Tyler Talbot (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) picked up the win retiring the two hitters he faced in the ninth to improve to 3-0.

Game Two – Lewis 7 Rockhurst 6
The Flyers had to rally three different times in the nightcap and then held off a Rockhurst rally in the ninth to complete the sweep.

The Hawks grabbed the lead with a run in the first but Lewis answered with a run of its own.

Rockhurst regained the lead in the third with a run but once again the Flyers answered tying the game in the fourth.

The Hawks scored twice in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead but Lewis answered with four runs in its half of the fifth to take the lead. Rios hit a two-run double to right to tie the score. Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) followed with a sacrifice fly to right to drive in Schefske and Tittle singled to left to plate Rios.

The Flyers tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to make it 7-4.

Rockhurst loaded the bases with three straight walks with one out in the ninth. Tyler Stamer drove in a run with a walk and Craig Straws drove in another run with an infield single to make it 7-6. Verdun was able to close it out striking out Colby Smith with the bases loaded to end the game.

Rios had three hits in the nightcap while Rutherford and Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) had two each. Blake Marks (Gardner, Ill./Gardner-South Wilmington) picked up the win allowing four runs, three earned, on eight hits and struck out four in 6.1 innings pitched to improve to 4-3. Verdun got the final two outs to pick up his second save.

"Blake really gutted it out today in game two and gave us a great chance to comeback like we did," McDonough said. "Ryan Ward (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) bounced back nicely in game two and Verdun was awesome in a very tough situation to close out the game."

The Flyers and Hawks conclude their three game series on Monday (April 15) at 12 p.m. at Brennan Field.