DUBUQUE, Iowa – Behind a combined 28 hits over a two-game stretch, the Loras College baseball team swept its doubleheader against cross town rival University of Dubuque on Tuesday evening, winning 9-8 in extra innings in game one and 10-8 in the night cap at Petrakis Park.
With the sweep of the twin bill, the Duhawks earned the series win for the second consecutive season.
Game One
In the first game, it was UD who raced out to an early advantage after plating two in the first inning. The Duhawks (17-7 overall, 6-2 American Rivers) got on the board at the bottom half of the inning courtesy of a two-run homer from
Daniel Rogers. The Purple and Gold took the lead a few batters later with a bases-loaded hit by pitch from
Jack Carney.
Jackson Cullen put Loras up 4-2 after an RBI fielder's choice at the next at-bat, before
Alex Sandoval closed out the inning's scoring with an RBI single up the middle to put Loras up three (5-2).
The Spartans (17-10, 6-6) got one run back in the second off a home run, but the Duhawks added to their lead in the fourth when
Nick DiBenedetto singled to right field, scoring
Max McCallum to put Loras up 6-3. The Duhawks tacked on another run in the sixth off another bases-loaded walk by
Cody Sunny.
The Spartans just wouldn't go away, as UD would go on a 5-0 scoring spree to lead it 8-7 ahead of the bottom of the ninth. That lead didn't last long, as it was the third time in the game that Loras was the beneficiary one of its batters reaching first via any other means than a hit, as Cullen picked up an RBI on his walk down the first base line to send the game to extras.
After a scoreless top of the 10
th,
Jake Olszewski came in to pinch hit and found immediate success with a walk-off single to right field that scored Rogers from third to win the game, 9-8.
Game Two
The Duhawks saw the second game start similarly, as UD took the early lead off an RBI double to left center in the second inning. Loras responded with four runs in the second, started off by
Vince Polizzi's RBI sacrifice fly to center field.
Jack Carney then singled up the middle to score Sunny before game Olszewski recorded his first career home run, a two-run shot to put Loras up 4-1.
The Duhawks tacked on two additional runs in the third inning off an RBI double by DiBenedetto and RBI single from Polizzi to lead it 6-1.
The Spartans played come-from-behind yet again, as UD would score four unanswered to trail 6-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh. There, Loras was able to do some damage, as DiBenedetto knocked out a two-RBI double to right center, followed by an RBI triple from Polizzi, and a RBI single from Carney to take a commanding 10-5 lead heading into the eighth.
UD made things interesting yet again as they were able to plate three in the eighth to trim the deficit to two, but
Austin Sheldon was able to keep the Spartans scoreless in the ninth with a strikeout and two groundouts to help the Duhawks clinch the season series.
UP NEXT
Loras will hit the road to face Simpson College this weekend with action beginning on Friday, April 12. First pitch from Indianola is scheduled for 6 p.m.
