NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Lewis' baseball team split its two games on Saturday at the Trevecca Nazarene Trojan Classic in Nashville, Tenn. The Flyers defeated Saginaw Valley State 9-3 in the opener and then dropped the nightcap 8-0 to the host Trojans.

Dalton Crowder (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) and Chris Zeschke (Oak Lawn, Ill./Richards) had four hits apiece on the day while Joe Preusser (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) and Ryan Schefske (Lombard, Ill./Glenbard East) had three hits each.

Game 1 – Lewis 9 SVSU 3
The Cardinals (5-2) scored the first run of the game in the home half of the first on a successful double steal. Brandon Scheurer stole home while Collin Winters stole second on the play.

Lewis (3-3) tied the game in the third on Dalton Crowder's (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) two-out single up the middle scoring Schefske from third.

SVSU regained the lead in its half of the third on Winters RBI triple down the right field line that scored Thomas Loftus.

The Flyers tied the game in the fifth with three straight two out singles. Crowder drove in Rios with the third single for his second RBI of the contest.

Lewis took the lead in the sixth on Schefske's grand slam to left that scored Julian Everett (Frankfort, Ill/Lincoln Way East), Preusser and Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick).

The Flyers added three insurance runs in the eighth. Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) drove in a run with a sacrifice fly down the right field line in foul territory. Zeschke followed with a two-run single down the left field line to make it 9-3.

That would be all the run support Ben Davis (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport Township) needed as he held the Cardinals in check for six innings allowing two runs on five hits while striking out seven to improve to 2-0. Jake Lotz (Palos Hills, Ill./St. Laurence), Nick Huisman (Westmont, Ill/Timothy Christian) and Nick Bacarella (Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove North) combined to allow a run on four hits with three strikeouts over the final three innings.

Crowder went 4-for-4 in the game while Zeschke was 3-for-4 at the dish and Schefske was 3-for-6.

"Ben was awesome today and gave us six solid innings," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "When you don't walk anyone play good defense you always have a chance to win.

"It was good to see us come alive offensively and Dalton had a big day," McDonough continued. "Schef's blast was huge and that was big moment in the game for sure."

Game 2 – TNU 8 Lewis 0
In the second game of the day, Lewis fell behind 1-0 in the first on a two-out RBI single off the bat of John O'Dwyer. The Trojans (4-8) added four more in the second on Ethan Harrison's grand slam to left field.

Trevecca Nazarene added single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings for the final margin.

The Flyers were held to five hits in the night cap with Preusser recording two of those. Matt Verdun (Homer Glen, Ill./St. Rita) got the start allowing six runs on four hits with five walks in four innings of work to take the loss. Mike Stevens (Homer Glen, Ill./) allowed an unearned run in his lone inning and AJ Casmer (Lisle, Ill./Lisle) allowed an unearned while striking out five in his three innings pitched.

"Game two was the complete opposite of game one," McDonough said. "We gave them way too many free bases and give credit to Trevecca for taking advantage."

Lewis takes on Saginaw Valley on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in the final game of the Trojan Classic.