Independence, IA. - The Lewis University baseball team took both games in their doubleheader matchup against Upper Iowa University Friday (Apr. 3). 

The Flyers now stand at a 15-17 overall record for the regular season with a 9-6 conference record while Upper Iowa falls to 12-20 on the season with a 5-10 conference record. 

GAME ONE RECAP 
The Flyers got the first game started of the GLVC head-to-head in the top of the third inning of the seven inning game, going up 1-0. Freshman Constantine Coins came in from third after senior Jayden Gonzalez (Chicago, Ill.) hit an RBI single to right field. 

In the top half of the fourth, senior John Henry Russell (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) led off the inning with single to center to set the Flyers up for another offensive frame. Lewis soon chased the Peacock's starting pitcher from the game after junior Kyle Peterson (Orland Park, Ill/Carl Sandburg) doubled to bring in Russell to make it 2-0 while  junior Jackson Hunley (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) and Coins both knocked in an RBI of their own on singles to increase the Flyer lead to 4-0. 

 The Peacocks were able to respond in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double, and later brought in a couple runs to decrease the deficit to two at 4-2 with RBI base hits from Jared Hoodjer and Hunter Jones. 

The next inning, Lewis plated four total runs on three hits which extended their lead back to a comfortable 8-2. Sophomore Chris Daugherty (Chicago, Ill/Brother Rice) led off the frame with an infield single and smart baserunning from the Flyers continued from there. Junior Alex Chaltin (Lombard, Ill./Willowbrook) batted in Daugherty with an RBI single and stole two bases while Russell walked and stole a base as well. Senior Tylor Phommachanhom (Plainfield, Ill/Parkland CC) collected two RBI's with a single to right and was active on the basepaths too by stealing second and advancing to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a groundout. 

Lewis added an insurance run in the top of the sixth with freshman Jimmy Spellman (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College of Prep) leading off the inning with an infield single and moved his way around the diamond to score on a groundout from Gonzalez to make it 9-2. 

The offense wasn't done for the Flyers though as they added four more runs in their final inning of work in the top of the seventh. Phommachanhom collected another RBI with a double and scored on a passed ball later in the inning, Daugherty singled to plate another and Chaltin worked a bases-loaded walk to bring in Spellman to push the score all the way to 13-2. 

On the mound, junior Jackson Bruno (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame Prep) secured the win and went the distance for Lewis, pitching the full seven innings while giving up just two earned runs and striking out six to his zero walks. 

 
GAME TWO RECAP 
Lewis got on the board first again where lightning struck in the top of the third inning. A two run homer off the bat of Spellman got the Flyers out to an early 2-0 lead to start the game. 

The Peacocks joined in on the scoring quickly after in the bottom of the third when JJ Vargas led off the inning with a double and ended up coming around on a wild pitch to take the score to 2-1. 

Spellman and Daugherty greeted the new Upper Iowa arm with two walks in the top of the fifth inning and Chaltin ended up bringing Spellman in with a clutch single through the left side to make it 3-1. 

Upper Iowa kept the game close though and brought it back to within a run once again in the bottom half of the sixth inning. With the bases loaded and go-ahead run on base, Thane Meiners singled to bring in one run which made the score 3-2 but graduate student pitcher Ben Catrambone (Western Springs, Ill.) entered to escape the jam and record an out to get out of the inning. 

Constantine led off the top of the seventh with a walk and advanced to third after a double from Daugherty. Chaltin gathered two RBI's on a base hit to left which extended the Lewis lead to 5-2 and later stole second base. Then Russell soon brought in Chaltin with a single of his own for Lewis which made it 6-2 in favor of the Flyers. 

Catrambone picked up the win for Lewis pitching 2.2 innings while allowing a run on one walk and two strikeouts. Graduate student pitcher Carter Endisch (Pewaukee, Wis./) earned the save for the Flyers as he put in 1.1 innings of work with a strikeout and no walks. 

UP NEXT 
The remaining two games of the series against Upper Iowa slated for Saturday (Apr. 4) have now been cancelled. Further updates about the games are to be expected at a later date. The next game on the Flyers schedule looks to be a single game against Roosevelt University on Tuesday (Apr. 7) at 3:00PM in Crestwood, Illinois.