Offensive Explosion Leads Lakers To Split With Eagles

CRESTWOOD, Ill. – Tuesday's Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Ozinga Field could not have started any better for Roosevelt. It also couldn't have ended much worse for the Lakers.

Roosevelt struck for eight runs on nine hits in the first inning of the first game, and scored in every other inning to clobber Judson, 24-2. However, a late rally in the nightcap fell short with the Lakers squandering the bases loaded in the ninth inning to fall 8-6 to the Eagles. It is the fifth consecutive twinbill Roosevelt has split in conference play this season.

The Lakers (18-15, 9-9 CCAC) wasted no time jumping all over Judson's starting pitcher, knocking him out after just one out was recorded. Bryce Hayman reached on an error by the second baseman then stole second on a ball in the dirt, setting the stage for the parade of hits that followed. Kekoa Ogawa launched a double over the left fielder's head that scored Hayman then Jack Kieffer roped a single into right field to plate Ogawa.

James Berry tripled into the gap in left centerfield then Luis Delgado sizzled a single into left field to make it 4-0 Roosevelt. A Sammy Estrada single put two runners on for Sebastian Casillas, who rocketed a three-run homer over the right field fence. Jojo Mack added another single for the Lakers, moved to third on a Hayman single then scored on Ogawa's second hit of the inning to cap off the eight-run frame.

It was more than enough for Jared Daley, who collected his third win of the year after striking out five and allowing two runs on six hits in four innings. A.J. Gliwa came on to strike out four of the eight batters he faced over two innings of work before Kyle Winston pitched the seventh inning.

It took just two batters into the second inning for the Lakers to strike for their runs as Berry led off the frame with a walk and Delgado promptly brought him home on a home run. Ogawa drove in Hayman with a triple in the third and later scored on Kieffer's RBI groundout, then Casillas doubles in the fourth inning to drive in another run.

With the game out of reach, the Lakers' bench stepped up and continued the offensive onslaught in their final two innings at the plate. Aidan Brushaber drove a ball through the left side of the infield in the fifth inning for an RBI single then Danny Holloway drew a bases-loaded walk before Jayden Hughes lashed a two-run single up the middle. In the sixth, Nolan Boettcher, Holloway and Hughes all walked with the bases loaded before Isaic Sanchez drove a grand slam over the left-field wall.

The second game of the day was more challenging for the Lakers because the timely hits that were abundant in the first game disappeared. The teams traded runs in the second inning with Kyle De Kerf tying the game for Roosevelt with an infield single to third base. Judson took a 3-1 lead after the top of the fourth, but the Lakers tied the game again in the bottom half of the frame. Delgado led off the inning with a solo home run to left then Casillas knocked home Holloway on a triple into the right-field corner.

Ogawa scored on a passed ball in the fifth inning to give the Lakers a 5-4 lead, but the Eagles struck for five in the seventh inning to put the pressure on Roosevelt with nine outs remaining. Casillas hit another triple into the right-field corner in the eighth inning, which brought home two runs, but he was tagged out in a rundown as he tried to stretch his triple into a inside-the-park home run.

In the ninth, Roosevelt put its first two batters aboard then loaded up the bases with two outs, but the rally ended there for the Lakers. Despite racking up 13 hits and drawing three walks in the loss, the Lakers left 10 men on base and made four errors in the field, leading to half of the runs against them being unearned.

The Lakers return to Ozinga Field on Friday to host a doubleheader with St. Ambrose starting at 1 p.m.