FORT WAYNE, Ind. --- Eight-run innings were the story of the day in the baseball matchups between University of St. Francis and Indiana Institute of Technology on Thursday afternoon with each team getting one in settling for a twinbill split. The Saints came away with a 14-7 first-game win with the hosts rallying to claim the nightcap 12-8 on a day in which 53 hits were recorded.
Eight different Saints registered multi-hit games led by outfielder Eric Maffie (SO/Coal Valley, Ill.) and infielder John McGuire (FR/New Lenox, Ill.), both of whom did it twice. Maffie went 4-for-8 with four RBIs on the afternoon, while McGuire went 4-for-7 with three runs scored.
Catcher/designated hitter Jake LaSota (JR/Marengo, Ill.) also remained hot registering six more runs batted in to give him nine over his last three games.
Outfielder Luke Ketchum (GR/Springfield, Ill.), meanwhile, became the second Saint this season to hit two home runs in the same inning with his pair as part of a 5-RBI first game.
Game 1 --- USF 14, Indiana Tech 7
The Saints (18-14) had the opener in hand after the first two innings having built an 11-2 lead by that point powered by Ketchum's two home runs. He opened the eight-run second inning with a solo home run before delivering a three-run round-tripper later on in the frame. The senior right fielder would drive in another run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning to finish off his 2-for-3, 5-RBI contest.
LaSota, meanwhile, drove in a run in four of the five innings in which St. Francis scored. He produced a two-run single in the first inning, RBI singles in the second and fourth and a sacrifice fly in the seventh in his perfect 4-for-4 first game.
Maffie drove in three of his four runs on the day with a pair of doubles in the first two innings.
Outfielder Scott Tumilty (FR/Villa Park, Ill.) made his baseball debut a successful one. The two-sport gridiron outfielder went 3-for-5 with three runs scored. John McGuire also scored three times and collected two hits.
Kevin Kardas (JR/Hampshire, Ill.) (1-0) worked 4 1/3 innings of relief to pick up the win on the mound.
Game 2 --- Indiana Tech 12, USF 8
USF built another early lead with three runs in each of the first two innings before the Warriors (24-21) cashed in their coins for an eight-run third inning. Back-to-back-to-back home runs fueled the outburst for the hosts.
LaSota and Maffie continued their hot hitting with RBI singles in the first inning before designated hitter Travis Schoonover (GR/Braidwood, Ill.) broke out of a hitting slump with a two-run home run in the second as part of a 3-for-3 game for him.
First baseman Foster Heise (GR/Lisle, Ill.) attempted to rally the Saints in the sixth inning with his two-run double, but that only got the Saints as close as 11-8.
Shortstop Josh Tesch (GR/Lockport, Ill.) and McGuire both contributed to USF's second straight 13-hit affair with two hits apiece.
Nick Clemmons (SR/Channahon, Ill.) (0-1) took the loss on the mound for the Saints.
USF takes Friday off in preparation for its weekend series with Saint Xavier University. The Saints travel to Chicago for a 1 pm doubleheader with the Cougars on Saturday before the two teams meet for a 1 pm single-game on Sunday at DuPage Medical Group Field.
