The Benedictine University baseball team scored 29 runs in 14 innings to record a sweep in Chicago, taking down Illinois Tech, who was tied for the conference lead, in a pair of contests.
Benedictine wasted no doubt in taking control in either game with
Kevin Bushnell seizing the moment. Bushnell hit three-run homers in the top of the first in both games.
GAME ONE: BENEDICTINE 19, ILLINOIS TECH 2
Following Bushnell's homer in the first, Benedictine added three more in the third. Bushnell homered again in the fourth and Benedictine led 7-2 before breaking the game open late with five in the sixth and seven in the seventh.
Logan Gregorio connected on a grand slam in the sixth and
DeShawnte Carraway and
David Rubin also homered in the seventh.
Benedictine posted 15 hits in the win. Bushnell notched three hits, scored five times and drove home four. Gregorio knocked in six.
Brennan Fisher tallied three hits. Carraway and Rubin also drove home three.
Austin Pizer worked 5.2 innings and struck out five to earn his fifth win of the season.
GAME TWO: BENEDICTINE 10, ILLINOIS TECH 0
Bushnell again put Benedictine ahead three batters into the game. Fisher made it 4-0 as the fifth batter of the inning with a homer. Benedictine would score three more runs in the first and lead 7-0, totaling 10 runs in the first inning of both games. Homers accounted for the other runs of the game as
Justin Nonnenmann connected on a solo blast in the fifth and Fisher pounded a two-run homer in the sixth.
Conner Kendall collected his fifth victory of the season, tossing a complete game shutout. Kendall allowed just four hits and struck out six. Bushnell again posted three hits and drove home three more. Nonnenmann logged three hits with Fisher also driving home three.
Benedictine (27-9, 16-6) is closing in on a double bye in the conference tournament and will conclude the regular season conference slate at Rockford on Friday.
