ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – Lewis University's baseball team's season-high six game winning streak was snapped in an 8-7 loss in game two of its doubleheader at William Jewell on Friday (April 19). The Flyers won the opener over the Cardinals 9-4. Lewis is now 21-19 overall and 14-12 in the GLVC while William Jewell is 16-24-1, 10-16 GLVC.

"Brandon Post (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) set the tone in game one and gave us a great start to game one," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "We took advantage of WJC mistakes and Pete (Hamot) was great in getting us through seven innings for a quality start.

"We had way too many walks and hit batters in game two," McDonough said. "We did a great job answering offensively and I was proud of how we tied the game but you can't give the other team that many free bases and expect to win in college baseball. The seventh inning was the game. We had bases loaded and couldn't find a way to score and then we turned around and gave them four runs in the bottom half."

Game 1 – Lewis 9 William Jewell 4
The Flyers wasted little time jumping on Mack Stephenson as Post led off the game with a home run to right field. Lewis added its second run later in the inning as Dalton Crowder (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) drew a two out bases loaded walk.

The Cardinals cut the Flyer lead in half with a run in the third on a fielder's choice.

The Flyers broke it open scoring three runs on only one hit in the fifth inning. A throwing error by Stephenson on a sacrifice bunt allowed Post and Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) to score. Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick).

Lewis added to its lead scoring two runs on four hits in the sixth. O'Brien drove in Crowder with a single through the right side and Post drove in Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) with a single down the right field line.

Jewell scored three runs on four hits in its half of the sixth to cut the Flyer lead in half. Christian Chalabi had the big hit in the inning with a two-run double down the left field line.

Lewis tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth on an error by Mason Goade which allowed Tittle and Post to score.

The Flyers outhit the Cardinals 11-9 in the opener and were led by Post with three while Tittle and O'Brien had two each.

Hamot pitched seven innings allowing four runs on eight hits with six strikeouts to pick up the win to improve to 3-2 on the season.  

Game 2 – William Jewell 8 Lewis 7
Lewis scored an unearned run in the first to take the early lead. William Jewell came back with three runs on three hits in the third to take its first lead of the day.

The Flyers were held to only two hits through the first five innings but the bats awoke in the sixth to tie the game. Schefske started the rally with a double and Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) followed with a double down the left field line to put two in scoring position for Crowder. Crowder drove in both runs with a single up the middle to knot the score at 3.

Lewis had a chance to retake the lead in the seventh loading the bases with one out but a strikeout and a fly out ended the threat.

The Flyers bullpen struggled in the seventh allowing four runs on two hits with three hit batsmen and a walk to allow the Cardinals to take a 7-3 lead.

Rios led off the eighth with a double but was still on second with two out. Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) singled up the middle to drive in Rios to make it 7-4. Verdun stole second and O'Brien singled to extend the rally to Post. Post tripled on a 0-2 pitch to right center to drive in both runs to make it a one-run game. The tying run was left 90 feet away though as a groundout to third ended the inning.

Lewis tied the game in the ninth. Rutherford led off with a double and scored on Rios' single down the right field line. Crowder followed with a single to put the go-ahead run in scoring position but back-to-back outs to center ended the inning.

Jewell won the game in the ninth thanks to two walks and two singles. Goade drove in the winning run with a single to center with the bases loaded.

The Flyers had 12 hits in the nightcap and were led by Rios and Crowder with three hits each. Rutherford and Verdun had two apiece. Matt McCauley (Oakville, Mo./St. John Vianney) took the loss allowing a run on two hits and two walks in 0.1 innings pitched.

Lewis and the Cardinals conclude their three-game series on Saturday at 12 p.m. at Talley Stadium.