The Benedictine University baseball team will avoid playing in a single elimination game at the conference tournament after sweeping Rockford at home on Senior Day.
BENEDICTINE 11, ROCKFORD 7
Benedictine put the pressure on with a win in an intense opener that felt like a tournament game.
Rockford led 1-0 before a sacrifice fly from
Brennan Fisher tied the game in the third. Single runs in the fifth and sixth saw Rockford lead 3-1 but the final three innings were frantic. Behind a run in the sixth on a wild pitch and two in the seventh on a
George Betevis RBI double and a
Nic Castrovillari RBI single, Benedictine led 4-3. Rockford hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth before Benedictine erupted for seven runs.
Justin Nonnenmann drew Benedictine within 6-5 behind an RBI double.
Zach Fell evened the game with a safety squeeze. Betevis reached on a throwing error that enabled the go-ahead run to score but also delivered controversy after the ball was ruled out of play following multiple long conversations. Castrovillari added an RBI single and the game was put out of reach behind a three-run homer from
Mike Budorick.
Conner Kendall worked seven innings in a no-decision.
Jack Hayden nabbed the win in relief. Betevis boasted three hits as Benedictine managed 11. Castrovillari and Budorick both tallied two.
BENEDICTINE 15, ROCKFORD 10
After falling behind 2-0, Benedictine scored in six straight innings to streak to a sweep. Betevis doubled home the first run of a four-run third and FIsher followed with a two-run homer. The team put five on the board in the fourth and survived a five-run eighth from Rockford to hold on for the win.
Zach Fell was 5-for-5 with three doubles. Betevis doubled four times to continue his hot week and drove home three. Fisher posted three hits and four RBIs.
Benedictine (25-15, 15-9 NACC) will play in the conference tournament hosted by MSOE next week.
