JOLIET, Ill. --- University of St. Francis baseball player
Eric Maffie played the role of superhero Tuesday afternoon at Duly Health and Care Field. Not only did the senior outfielder/first baseman account for half of USF's 14 runs on the day with his three home runs – two to the opposite field – but he also saved the day for St. Francis in the nightcap with his all-out diving catch away from the infield with the bases loaded to end the eighth inning.
Watch Maffie's Game-Saving Catch
The end result was a pair of one-run victories – 4-3 and 10-9 – for the Fighting Saints over Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Indiana University South Bend to extend their season-high winning streak to four games.
Maffie provided a two-run home run in the opener before going opposite field on three- and two-run round-trippers in the back-and-forth nightcap. He finished the day going 3-for-7 with seven runs batted in and another four scored.
Dan Gusel added a pair of hits in each of the two contests.
Mack Malczewski also preserved the pair of wins with the first two saves of the fifth-year senior's career.
Game 1: USF 4, Indiana South Bend 3
The Saints (14-23, 9-7 CCAC) used two-out hits from
Luke Ketchum (single) and Maffie (two-run home run) to open a 3-0 lead in the third inning before the two teams exchanged unearned runs in the fourth inning.
Indiana South Bend (13-21, 9-8) clawed its way back into the contest with single runs in the fifth and seventh innings and had the tying run on base in the latter frame. Malczewski came on to secure the win by retiring each of the three batters he faced, including the first one on a sacrifice, which moved the tying run into scoring position.
Ketchum and Gusel both delivered a pair of hits in the contest.
On the mound,
Matt Lopez made his first start of the season and allowed only one unearned run over three innings.
Josh Kirnbauer (1-0) notched the win with his scoreless fourth inning.
Game 2: USF 10, Indiana South Bend 9
In the nightcap, each of USF's first five batters in the lineup authored a pair of hits, including Maffie, who opened the scoring with a three-run home run in the third inning. His two-run shot in nearly the exact same right centerfield spot also broke a seven-all tie and put the Saints up for good in a four-run seventh inning.
The latter heroics came as part of a string of seven unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings to put the Saints up 10-7 after Indiana South Bend exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to open up a 7-3 lead. The Titans sent ten batters to the plate in that inning with Donnie Necas' three-run triple down the right field line being the big blow.
USF countered with RBI singles from
Brayan Hidalgo (2-for-4) and
Jake LaSota (2-for-4) and a bases-loaded walk to
Gio Pappas in the bottom of the sixth inning to make it a one-run game. Pappas also had a run-scoring single to account for what would turn out to be the Saints' game-winning run in the seventh inning.
Four of the first five Indiana South Bend batters authored hits to open the eighth inning and make it a one-run game. The Titans also had the bases loaded with only one out in the inning before
Kevin Kardas coaxed a flyball to short right field.
Malczewski was then called upon to get the final out of that inning, which he did courtesy of Maffie's spectacular play, as well as all three outs in the ninth inning. He again received some defensive support in the final frame with LaSota throwing out a runner attempting to steal after reaching base on an error. The following batter walked – which would have put runners at first and second base with nobody out – before LaSota made a catch just in front of the net behind home plate for the second out.
Alex Martinez (2-for-4) then closed out the victory with his catch of a popup at second base.
Sean Michalak (4-1) gained the win with his 1 2/3 innings of relief, while Malczewski picked up his second save of the day by recording the final four outs.
Nate Maliska and Gusel contributed to USF's 13-hit attack with two hit apiece.
Ethan Fleming had both his best and longest outing of the year. Making his third start of the season, he allowed just one run over five innings with four strikeouts.
Notes: With his three home runs on Tuesday giving him 13 for the campaign, Maffie is now just one home run away from ranking in the Top 10 all-time for a single season in that category in the St. Francis record books … Maffie's five RBIs in the nightcap tied a season high for him. He performed the same feat against Lyon College (Ark.) back in February … The two-home run game was Maffie's second of the year and led to his tenth and 11th multi-RBI games of the season. The next-closest challenger sits at four contests … With his two hits in each end of the twinbill, Gusel has now hit safely in seven of his last eight games with multi-hit affairs in three of his last four contests … Michalak's win in Game 2 was his team-leading fourth of the campaign … The Saints tied a season-high with three double plays turned in Game 2 … USF hosts Trinity International University in a single game on Friday with the first pitch slated for 3 pm.
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