JOLIET, Ill – The Lewis University baseball team swept a double header with St. Francis Sunday (Feb. 28), beating the Saints 13-8 and 13-0 at DuPage Medical Group Field in the season opener for both teams. The Flyers move to 2-0 on the season, while the Saints move to 0-2.
 
In addition to the 26 runs on the day, the Flyers posted 31 hits in the contest. Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick) posted six hits to lead the Flyers.
 
"Offensively, I felt like were locked in all day and got production up and down the lineup," Lewis head baseball coach Tim McDonough said. "All in all I was just so happy that we were able to get back on the field competing and it's always nice to get off to a good start to the season."
 
Game One – Lewis 13 St. Francis 8
The Flyers opened the scoring in the top of the first inning as Anthony Rios (Lemont, Ill./St. Laurence) singled home Anthony Cavalieri (Western Springs, Ill./Fenwick). In the second inning the Flyers added three more runs on the scoreboard. Austin Tittle (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) doubled home Zach Teegan, Joe Preusser (Orland Park, Ill./Brother Rice) drove home Tittle on a ground out and Michael O'Brien (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic) scored after Cavalieri reached on a throwing error.
 
Lewis extended the lead further in the fifth inning as Cavalieri tripled, scoring Dalton Crowder (Romeoville, Ill./Plainfield East) and then scored on a wild pitch. Tittle doubled, scoring Teegan and Rios and Preusser singled home Tittle to give the Flyers a 9-0 advantage after the top of the fifth.
 
St. Francis mounted a charge with three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and five more runs in the eighth inning to make it a 9-8 game heading to the ninth inning.
 
The Flyers though were able to extend their lead with four more runs in the top of the ninth as Rios singled in Cavalieri and Jackson Dvorak (New Lenox, Ill./Providence Catholic) scored on a throwing error. Rios then scored on a sacrifice fly by Teegan and Preusser singled home Kevin Barry (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin).
 
Tittle led the way at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs scored and three RBI, while Cavalieri (3 runs), Rios (2 runs, 2 RBI), Teegan (2 runs) and Preusser (3 RBI) all had two hits each. Brad Littleton (Coal City, Ill./) (1-0) earned the win on the mound, allowing two hits and no runs in five innings, striking out six.
 
Game Two – Lewis 13 St. Francis 0
The Flyers again opened the scoring in the first when Crowder scored on a sacrifice fly from Dvorak. Lewis added two more runs in the fourth inning as Dvorak scored on a Julian Everett (Frankfort, Ill/Lincoln Way East) single and Rios scored on a sacrifice fly from Angelo Cantelo (Blue Island, Ill./Marian Catholic).
 
Rios made it 4-0 in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly, scoring Crowder. Two more runs were scored in the sixth inning as Cavalieri singled to score O'Brien and Dvorak singled home Crowder.
 
O'Brien made it 7-0 in the top of the seventh on a triple, scoring Preusser. Cavalieri then made it 8-0 in the eighth after scoring on a throwing error after a wild pitch.
 
Lewis scored five times in the ninth inning as Max Warren (Yorkville, Ill./Yorkville) singled home Preusser and Everett. Dvorak then doubled home Warren and Patrick Keaty (South Elgin, Ill./South Elgin). Rios concluded the scoring with a sacrifice fly, scoring Cavalieri.
 
Cavalieri went 4-for-5 in the game with two runs scored, while Rios was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Crowder (3 runs), Dvorak (4 RBI), Everett and O'Brien all had two hits.
 
Jake Karaba (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) (1-0) earned the win, pitching five scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out seven. Karaba teamed with Michael Sclafani (Oak Brook, Ill./Montini Catholic), Kurt Dankovich (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence) and Nick Huisman (Westmont, Ill/Timothy Christian) for the five hit shutout, striking out 12 in the game.
 
"I thought our starting pitching set the tone today as Brad and Jake were totally in control and just outstanding," McDonough said.
 
Lewis is scheduled to be back in action March 5 at Purdue Northwest.