JOLIET, Ill. --- Comfortable 6-1 and 6-0 leads turned out not to be so by games' end for the University of St. Francis baseball team, but the Saints were able to hang on 7-6 in the six inning nightcap to gain a non-conference split with Aquinas College (Mich.) on Thursday afternoon at Duly Health and Care Field. Aquinas rallied in the opener to win 9-8 in 10 innings.

Eric Maffie had a big day at the plate missing by a triple of hitting for the cycle in the first game and finishing his afternoon with six hits in eight at bats, three runs scored and five runs batted in.

In Game 2, Andrew Hancock won for the second time in a row with Nick Clemmons picking up his first save of the season. 

Game 1: Aquinas 9, USF 8 --- 10 Innings
Maffie drove in the first two runs of the game with a double and put the Saints out in front 6-1 with his two run home run to dead center field in the fifth inning as part of a 4 for 5, 4-RBI, 2 run game for him. The double was one of two in the contest for the senior first baseman and one of three on the day.

Aquinas (17-27) upended the Saints' five run lead with six runs in the sixth inning to take a 7-6 lead. The guests opened the inning with four straight singles and seven among the first nine batters. The go ahead run came in on an error.

Aquinas added an insurance run in the seventh inning, which Jake Vera got back with his home run to lead off the St. Francis seventh inning. The Saints then tied it on Luke Ketchum's RBI double with two outs. He, however, was stranded at third base to force extra innings.

A walk, wild pitch and single got the winning run home in the tenth inning for Aquinas, but not before the Saints threatened with a pair of runners on base in their last at bat. 

Noah Kararo drove in two of St. Francis' other runs.

Mack Malczewski got the start for USF and went the first five innings. The only hit he allowed turned out to be a home run in his final inning of work.

Game 2: USF 7, Aquinas 6
Similar to the first game, the Saints got in front early with three runs in the second inning, two more in the third, and one in the fourth inning. The biggest run, however, turned out to come home on Josh Kirnbauer's two out single in the fifth inning, which wound up being the difference in the end.

The hit was one of two after two outs to drive in a run for Kirnbauer. He also had one to start USF's scoring in the game. Vera (2-for-4) followed one batter later with his two run triple.

USF's two runs in the third inning came courtesy of a Jake LaSota double and a John Peterson single. Maffie's final double of the day made it 6-0 in the fourth inning. He went 2 for 3 in Game 2.

After Aquinas chipped away at the deficit with two runs in the fifth inning, it put up four runs in its final at bat and had the tying run on second base with two outs before Clemmons put out the flames.

Like Malczewski, Hancock (2-1) kept the lid on Aquinas' offensive output with four scoreless innings before yielding to the St. Francis bullpen. Clemmons gained the save in an emergency situation when Sam Pileggi was sidelined after throwing only one pitch.

Up Next
The Saints have the conference bye this weekend and have the next four days off before hosting Indiana Institute of Technology next Tuesday at 3 pm.

Live coverage can be found at gofightingsaints.com/coverage. You can also keep up with all things USF on Twitter @USFSaints.