LISLE, Ill. - The Benedictine University baseball team opened the home part of the 2015 schedule by sweeping a pair of games from UW-Platteville on Saturday.
BENEDICTINE 7, UW-PLATTEVILLE 6 - Game OneAfter allowing a pair of first inning runs, Benedictine settled in and rode the arm of
Cody Netzel to a win.
Benedictine scored three times in the bottom of the first to erase the early deficit. With the bases loaded and one out,
Tim Hendricks brought home the first run with a fielder's choice. An error allowed the tying run to score.
Brandon Clark singled home the go-ahead run.
Netzel was on cruise control, claiming his first win of the season. The starter struck out the side in the second, third, and fourth innings. Netzel fanned 13 in six innings of work and allowed just two runs on four hits. The Eagles padded the lead with two runs in the second and two in the sixth to open a 7-2 lead. Platteville pulled within a run and left the tying run at second in the ninth as
Dylan Smith earned his second save.
Nick Fillmore notched three hits in the victory as Benedictine collected 12.
Matthew Higgs,
Max Oppenheimer, and
Justin Kovalsky each recorded two hits.
BENEDICTINE 5, UW-PLATTEVILLE 4 - Game TwoThe Eagles failed to hold a 3-0 lead in game two but scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to collect the sweep.
Hendricks handed Benedictine a 2-0 advantage in the bottom of the third. Hendricks logged a bases loaded two-run single with two outs. The lead grew to 3-0 on a single from Oppenheimer in the fourth.
The visitors slowly pecked away, scoring a run in the fifth and seventh before striking twice in the eighth to open a 4-3 lead. The ninth inning rally opened with Oppenheimer reaching on an error. Kovalsky singled and Fillmore added a bunt single. The tying run scored on an errant throw following the bunt. Clark ended the game with a single up the middle.
Mike Spalla worked seven innings in a no-decision. Spalla struck out seven and allowed just a single earned run.
Kamren Ackerman earned the win by twirling a perfect ninth with a strikeout. Kovalsky picked up two hits in the win.
Benedictine (5-8) next opens conference play with two games against Lakeland at home on Monday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. The Eagles have played 11 games decided by two runs or less this year and 10 one-run games.
