Records Fall On Historic Senior Day For Lakers

CRESTWOOD, Ill. – Roosevelt tied the program record for wins in a season Saturday by taking both games of a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader at Ozinga Field.

The Lakers (28-20, 19-13 CCAC) scored in all six innings to rally from an early deficit and defeat the Titans 12-8 in the first game. They then jumped out to a large lead and held on late for an 11-9 win in the second game. The two victories allowed Roosevelt to match its program record for wins in a season with 28, which was set during the 2018 campaign.

It was also a historic day for Kekoa Ogawa, who tied the program record with 75 hits this season after collecting six across the two games. The infielder was 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs in the opener before going 4 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs in the second game. That home run, his ninth of the season, also set the program record for home runs in a season while his 55 RBIs are also a program best for a season.

Indiana South Bend hustled out of the gate to score three early runs in the first inning, then responded to a two-run double from Ogawa in the bottom of the inning with four more in the top of the second. Yet Roosevelt's offense stayed persistent and continued to attack the Titans pitching staff and put them into trouble.

Ben Compton singled to lead off the bottom of the second and two batters later Jojo Mack doubled off the wall in center field. Sebastian Casillas grounded out to the pitcher, but Compton scored on the play, and Bryce Hayman followed with an RBI single. Compton launched an RBI double into the gap in the third inning to plate yet another run.

The Lakers' most explosive inning of the first game was the fourth when Ogawa followed a Hayman triple with a double into right center field. James Berry was next to the dish, and he rocketed a two-run shot over the batter's eye in center field to tie the game 8-8. In the fifth, the Lakers took the lead for the first time when Mack drew a bases-loaded walk then they added to the lead when Sammy Estrada scored on a passed ball.

A failed pickoff attempt in the sixth inning led to another run coming across when the Indiana South Bend pitcher airmailed the toss. Estrada then singled into center field to close out the scoring in the first game with pinch runner Isaic Sanchez coming in to score from second base.

Roosevelt had similarly productive at-bats to start the second game with Ogawa launching a solo home run in the first to give the Lakers an early edge. Jack Kieffer doubled the lead in the second inning when he scored on a wild pitch, but the Lakers really throttled up the offense in the third inning.

Casillas started the frame with a single before being replaced at first by Hayman on a fielder's choice. Another failed pickoff allowed Hayman to move all the way to third, setting the table for Ogawa to single up the middle. Ogawa stole second and advanced to third when the throw skipped into center field then scored without Berry needing to swing the bat on yet another wild pitch from the Titans. Berry would walk then later scored on a passed ball, Estrada singled in another run before Compton scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-0 in Roosevelt's favor.

The Lakers were scoreless for the first time all day in the fourth and fifth innings, but the scoring picked up again in the sixth with a two-run single from Ogawa. Casillas doubled in the seventh inning to drive in a run then Hayman had an RBI groundout to make it 11-6 Lakers. Indiana South Bend would add three more in the ninth before the Lakers recorded the important 27^th out of the game.

Roosevelt received some help around the CCAC on Saturday to move into a tie for second place in the conference standings. The Lakers would end up as the No. 2 seed in next week's conference tournament under the tiebreakers outlined in the CCAC bylaws, but the official schedule will be announced Monday by the conference. If the Lakers are indeed seeded second, they would play the No. 5 seed at 4 p.m. Thursday in Joliet.