Brennan Fisher homered three times and drove home 10 runs as the 12th ranked Benedictine University baseball team moved to 4-0 in the NACC with a sweep of the 10th ranked defending conference champions from Aurora on Wednesday.
Benedictine recorded a comfortable 9-3 win in the opener but had to sweat out a 12-11 decision in game two. The team came from behind to win both games.
GAME ONE: BENEDICTINE 9, AURORA 3
Andrew Kurcz tossed a complete game as Benedictine rallied to pull away in the opener.
Aurora opened a 3-0 lead by scoring three runs in the top of the second. Benedictine took advantage of an error in the bottom of the inning with two outs to pull within a run on a two-run homer from
George Betevis. Aurora lined into a double play in the third that help Kurcz settle down. Benedictine plated three runs in the third to take the lead for good.
Logan Gregorio homered, Fisher stroked an RBI double and
David Rubin singled home another run. Fisher drilled a three-run homer in the fourth and
DeShawnte Carraway followed with a solo blast as Benedictine went back-to-back.
Kurcz improved to 3-0 on the year by working all seven innings, allowing three runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts. The offense slugged 10 hits with Fisher, Betevis and
Kevin Bushnell logging two apiece. Benedictine hit four homers in the game. Fisher knocked home four in the opener.
GAME TWO: BENEDICTINE 12, AURORA 11
Benedictine needed to rally multiple times and then had to hold off a late charge from Aurora to tally the sweep.
Bushnell opened the scoring with an RBI double in the bottom of the first but Aurora tied the game in the second and opened a 4-1 lead with two in the fourth and one in the fifth. Benedictine tied the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three times with two outs and two strikes including a pair of bases loaded walks.
Aurora jumped ahead again in the top of the sixth with a solo homer as the guests scored in six straight innings. Fisher hit his second homer of the day in the bottom of the inning, another three-run blast to put Benedictine up 7-5. Aurora score a single tally in the seventh before Benedictine erupted for five, including another three-run homer from Fisher. Leading 12-6. Benedictine needed to hang on as Aurora hit a grand slam in the top of the ninth with two outs and stranded the tying run on base.
Conner Kendall earned his second win of the season in relief.
Dean Rokkas made his first collegiate start, working 3.2 innings.
Austin Pizer was able to nail down his third save of the year by throwing the final three frames and striking out three.
Fisher drove home six in the second game and finished with three runs scored. Benedictine totaled 15 hits in the finale while Aurora notched 18.
Ryan Doubek was 3-for-5 out of the leadoff slot with three runs scored. Bushnell and Betevis also logged three hits. Doubek extended his on-base streak to 50, the 12th longest in NCAA Division III history while Gregorio pushed his to 45, also one of the longest in history.
Benedictine (15-1, 4-0 NACC) heads to Concordia Wisconsin on Saturday.
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