GAME ONE
GAME TWO
LISLE, Ill. -- The Benedictine University baseball team threw a wrench into the Northern Athletics Conference standings, concluding the season by playing spoiler with a doubleheader split against Rockford, who held a one-game lead in the NAC entering the final weekend.
BENEDICTINE 5, ROCKFORD 2 -- GAME ONE
The Eagles opened the doubleheader with a victory over Rockford after honoring its seniors before the contest and playing one of its better games of the season.
After leaving the bases loaded in the first, Benedictine opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the second. Jimmy Janchenko singled up the middle and Kevin Ross followed with a walk. A sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position. Nick Karakosta plated the first run with an RBI groundout. Consecutive walks forced in another run as Colin Gilreath coaxed a bases loaded walk.
The Eagles extended the lead with three runs in the fourth. Derek Klinetobe ignited the rally with a one-out walk. Karakosta followed with a single and Josh Zenawick was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Gilreath drove in two with a single down the line in left. Kevin Hendricks lifted a sacrifice fly to left, capping the scoring.
Rockford scored twice in the seventh inning, mouning a rally against Benedictine starter Jake Thompson. Jimmy Polster doubled in a run and Kyle Standridge drove in a run with a groundout.
That was all Thompson would allow, throwing threw eight strong innings in his final start of the season. He netted his fifth win of the season, allowing just two runs on seven hits to go with a pair of walks and six strikeouts. David Flott, honored before the game, tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to record his first career save, striking out a pair.
Eight different individuals posted hits for the Eagles. Colin Gilreath drove in three.
ROCKFORD 14, BENEDICTINE 4 -- GAME TWO (Seven Innings)
Rockford scored four times in the first inning, wasting no time in putting the opening loss behind them, clinching a share of the NAC Title with the win.
Benedictine was able to get a run back in the bottom of the first inning. Colin Gilreath drove home Nick Karakosta with a two-out single to right.
Rockford stretched the lead to 10-1 with two in the third, three in the fourth, and one in the fifth. Benedictine chipped to within 10-4 with three runs in the bottom of the fifth, but could pull no closer. Tom Higgins plated Uli Ortiz with a sacrifice fly, but the big blow of the frame was a two-run homer to left, jsut clearing the wall, off the bat of Jimmy Janchenko in his final college at bat.
Kevin Hendricks accounted for two of the seven hits by Benedictine.
Benedictine closed the season at 17-23 and 12-10 in the NAC. The Eagles have never posted a losing season in NAC play.
