ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – The Lewis University baseball team split its doubleheader with Illinois Springfield on Wednesday afternoon at Brennan Field. The Flyers (13-15, 8-9 GLVC) won the opener 11-8 while the Prairie Stars (19-9-1, 10-7 GLVC) won the nightcap 5-3.

"I thought we played pretty well all day," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "I'm disappointed we only came away with a split but UIS is a very good team and those were two good college baseball games.

"I've been really pleased with how we've been pitching lately," he continued. "Ryan Ward (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) and Robert Talarico (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West) were great in game one. Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) gave us every chance in game two and I loved what I saw out of Andrew Tenison (Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg), Matt McCauley (Oakville, Mo./St. John Vianney) and Jake Lotz (Palos Hills, Ill./St. Laurence) but we just couldn't scratch across enough runs to win.

"It's always good to see us fight like we did in game two," McDonough stated. "Down 5-1 and to comeback with two runs and have the winning run at the plate in the ninth is all you can ask for."

Game 1 – Lewis 11 Illinois Springfield 8
The Prairie Stars sent eight batters to the plate in the second inning scoring four runs on four hits. Nick Wisz and Nick Mayerhofer each had RBI doubles in the frame while Brennan Brogni had an RBI groundout and John Sechen drove in a round with a single to short.

Lewis got two runs back in its half of the second on Dalton Crowder's (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) two-run double to right. The Flyers had a chance to tie the score but left runners on the corner.

Lewis took the lead in the fourth thanks to a two-out rally. Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) started the rally with a double down the left field line and then back-to-back walks loaded the bases. Connor Rutherford (DePere, Wis./DePere) was hit by a pitch to drive in O'Brien to make it 4-3. Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) then walked on five pitches to plate the tying run. After a pitching change, Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) hit the first pitch he saw back up the middle to drive in Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) and Rutherford.

The Flyers added three more runs in the fifth with a pair of home runs in the frame. With one out, Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) homered to left to make it 7-4. O'Brien then walked on five pitches and scored on Brandon Post's (Elk Grove Village, Ill./Elk Grove) two-run homer to right to extend the lead.

Lewis tacked on insurance runs with tallies in the sixth and seventh innings. Tittle drove in his second run of the game with a groundout in the sixth and Schefske drove in Cavalieri with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

UIS cut the Flyer lead to four scoring three runs in the eighth on a bases clearing double to right. With one out and a runner on third, Talarico was able to get out of the inning by getting a strikeout and a fly out to right.

The Prairie Stars added another run in the ninth on a sacrifice fly and brought the tying run to the plate but Talarico got Brandon Bannon to ground out to O'Brien to end the game.

Lewis had 11 hits in the contest with Cavalieri and Rios teaming up for five of them. Post, Schefske, Rios, Crowder and Tittle drove in two runs apiece. Ward picked up the win allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts in five innings of work. Talarico earned the save allowing four runs on five hits with a walk and five strikeouts over the last four innings.

Game 2 – Illinois Springfield 5 Lewis 3
UIS broke on top in the nightcap on a solo home run with one out in the top of the second. The Flyers evened the score on O'Brien's solo home run to right to lead off the third inning.

The game remained tied until the fifth when the Prairie Stars regained the lead scoring three times on five hits. They tacked on an insurance run in the sixth on a lead-off home run to left center off the bat of Austin Alderman.

Lewis loaded the bases with one out in the seventh to bring the tying run to the plate. After a strikeout, Post dropped in a two-run single down the left field line scoring Crowder and Tittle.

The Flyers put two on with two out in the ninth but a strikeout ended the game.

Lewis was doubled up in hits in the second game 10-5. O'Brien led the way with two hits while Post, Rios and Julian Everett (Frankfort, Ill/Lincoln Way East) had one apiece. Post and O'Brien drove in two runs each. Verdun took the loss allowing four runs on eight hits with seven strikeouts in five innings pitched.

The Flyers continue their eight game homestand hosting Bellarmine in a doubleheader on Saturday at Brennan Field beginning at 12 p.m.