GAME ONE
GAME TWO

LISLE, Ill. - The Benedictine University baseball team opened the Northern Athletics Conference portion of its schedule by sweeping Maranatha Baptist in a pair of games on Monday.

BENEDICTINE 18, MARANATHA 2 -- GAME ONE (Seven Innings)
The Eagles scored in all but two innings and pounded out 18 hits including seven for extra bases on their way to an opening victory.

Phil Palmisano received the nod on the mound for the opener, working five shutout innings to tally his first victory of the season. Palmisano allowed just two hits while walking two and striking out four.

Benedictine gave Palmisano all the run support he would need in the second inning, scoring five times to open a 5-0 advantage. Tim Gindville started the rally with a one-out single. Mitch McMeen drove home the game's first run with a triple to right-center and crossed the plate on an errant relay throw. Kevin Ross, Mike Loni, and Derek Klinetobe posted three consecutive doubles to stretch the lead to 4-0. Gino Miglio was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to cap the inning. 

Six more runs crossed in the third to chase Maranatha starter Derek Funkhouser from the game. Kevin Hendricks singled in a pair in the frame. Loni, Gindville, and McMeen drove home runs as well as Nick Karakosta, who doubled in a run.

The Eagles made it 12-0 with a fourth inning run. Kyle Rathbun knocked in Mike Loni with an RBI single. Benedictine finished the scoring with another six-spot in the fifth. Uli Ortiz plated a pair with a single in the inning. 

Nick DePaul allowed a pair of runs to Maranatha in the sixth before Michael Cottier closed out the game with a pair of strikeouts in the seventh.

Seven of the nine players in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit in the game for the Eagles with all reaching base at least once and 12 different individuals recorded a hit. Mike Loni was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs. Uli Ortiz, Kyle Rathbun, Mitch McMeen, and Kevin Ross all posted two hits in the contest. Five different individuals drove in at least two runs.  

BENEDICTINE 12, MARANATHA 1 -- GAME TWO (Seven Innings)
Benedictine roared out to an 8-0 lead in the first two innings of the second contest.

The run support was plenty for Benedictine starter Rob Grabek. Grabek made his first collegiate start in just his second ever appearance. He threw five innings and allowed just one run on four hits while walking three and striking out a pair.
 
The Eagles gathered a pair of first inning runs to set the tone. Derek Klinetobe singled and moved to second on a passed ball. With one out Josh Zenawick doubled in the first run of the game. Colin Gilreath drove in the other run with an RBI fielder's choice. 

For the third time in the doubleheader Benedictine put up a six spot in a frame in the second inning. Dan Zust and Mike Loni each walked and moved up on a wild pitch. Klinetobe also walked as did Nick Karakosta, who put the Eagles up 3-0 with a bases loaded free pass. Zenawick drove in his second run of the game with a bases loaded single to right-center. Kevin Hendricks made it 6-0 with a two-run single to right. Gilreath capped the inning with a two-run single of his own.

Maranatha picked up a run in the fourth when Andrew Timblin singled home Mark Zockoll. Benedictine padded the edge with three runs in the bottom of the frame, all coming with two outs. Gilreath doubled to begin the attack. Following a walk to catcher Tom Higgins, Mitch McMeen drove home a run with a single to right. Dan Zust posted his first extra-base hit of the year, a double to plate a pair and finish the scoring.  Zust also drove in a run with two outs in the sixth inning to put a cap on the contest.

Four players finished with two hits each in the game. Josh Zenawick, Colin Gilreath, Kevin Hendricks, and Dan Zust accomplished the feat. Gilreath and Zust each drove in three runs in the contest.

Benedictine (7-9, 2-0) will travel to Edgewood College (9-5) on Wednesday afternoon for a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.

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