PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. --- After producing 10 runs on 12 hits in a seven-inning contest one day earlier against Trinity Christian College, the University of St. Francis baseball team found both tough to come by on Saturday when it registered just three runs and ten hits in 3-1 and 6-2 setbacks enabling the Trolls to win the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference three-game series.
Second baseman Josh Tesch (GR/Lockport, Ill.) was the only Saint to collect a hit in each end of the twinbill. He went 3-for-6 on the afternoon to extend his hitting streak to eight games and scored two of USF's three runs.
Game 1 --- Trinity Christian 3, USF 1
USF's only two hits in Game 1 came in the first and fourth innings with the latter – a single by center fielder Luke Ketchum (GR/Springfield, Ill.) – driving in the Saints' only run. After that, the guests never had another batter reach base in their final 10 plate appearances.
Nathan Deckinga (2-2) did not allow an earned run in his six innings on the mound for Trinity Christian. He gave up the two hits to go along with two walks and two hit batsmen, while striking out a pair of batters. Zach Huisman came on to pitch the seventh inning and record the first of two saves on the day for him, giving him seven for the season.
Ryan Daly (FR/Plainfield, Ill.) (0-1) went the distance for the Saints on the mound in suffering the loss.
Game 2 --- Trinity Christian 6, USF 2
St. Francis held a 2-1 lead until the seventh inning when things began to unravel. Trinity Christian put up two runs in that inning and another three in the eighth inning with three of the five runs being unearned. The Trolls (9-15, 4-5 CCAC) also recorded their first run of the day on a wild pitch.
Hunter Slaats came up with all the big at bats for Trinity Christian in both ends of the doubleheader. After authoring a pair of run-producing hits in the opener, he had a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning and a two-run double in the eighth in Game 2 to finish with five RBIs on the day.
Foster Heise (GR/Lisle, Ill.) (single) and Joe McGuire (SR/Lockport, Ill.) (sacrifice fly) drove in USF's two runs. Tesch was the only Saint with multiple hits going 2-for-3.
Nick Villasenor (SR/Addison, Ill.) (1-2) pitched well into the seventh inning. He scattered five hits up until that point and finished his afternoon with eight strikeouts against no walks in his 7 2/3 innings of work.
The Saints (6-9, 4-5) are off until Thursday (April 1) when they host Siena Heights University (Mich.) in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1 pm at DuPage Medical Group Field.
