JOLIET, Ill. --- Gio Pappas and Sam Pileggi both had career days as the University of St. Francis baseball team ran away with a 19-1 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Trinity International University on Friday afternoon at Duly Health and Care Field.

Pappas authored his second career two-home run game and put up career-high numbers in both hits (four) and runs batted in (six), while Pileggi registered a personal-best ten strikeouts in his longest stint (seven innings) as a Saint.   

Pappas went 4-for-5 on the day with all four hits going for extra bases.  Besides his two home runs, he also recorded a double and a triple.  As a team, USF put up ten extra-base hits among its 20 total hits.

Pileggi (2-1) was on the mark, as well, on the mound.  The only run he allowed came in the third inning after the Saints built a 13-0 lead.  The 10 strikeouts came opposite no walks and eight hits and resulted in his second straight win.

St. Francis opened the game by hitting for the cycle six batters into the contest and scoring five times in the opening frame.  After a flyout to open the game, Nate Maliska singled and Eric Maffie doubled.  Josh Kirnbauer then drove both of them home with his second triple of the season before scoring himself on a wild pitch.  Pappas followed with the first of back-to-back monstrous home runs to left field.  Dan Gusel delivered the other one one batter later.  Both were solo shots.

Head coach Brian Michalak's club added another seven runs one inning later to open up a 12-0 lead after two innings.  Seven of USF's ten singles came in that inning with Maffie, Brayan Hidalgo, Alex Mielcarz and Alex Martinez all driving in runs.

Pappas' other hits and runs batted in came in the third (double), fifth (two-run home run) and sixth innings (two-run triple).

Eleven Saints in all registered hits on the day with six recording multi-hit games.  Maffie was next in line behind Pappas with a perfect 3-for-3 report (two doubles), while Kirnbauer drove in three runs with his two hits.  Other members of the two-hit club included Maliska, Gusel and Jake Vera (2 RBIs).

The win extended USF's season-high winning streak to five games and put the Saints at 15-23 overall and 10-7 in league play.

Notes: USF's 19 runs, 20 hits and three triples were all season highs … Pappas tied the team season high for hits in a game with four, while his six RBIs are now the most by a Saint this year … Pappas' other two-home run game came against Southeastern University (Fla.) back on March 9, 2022 … The two-homer game was the third of the season by a Saints player.  Maffie recorded the other two … Gusel and Maffie both extended their streaks of getting on base to nine games, which is a season high for Gusel.  Maffie's season high is 11 games … Not only have the Saints won five games in a row, they have also won six straight home contests … The two teams continue the three-game set on Saturday in Deerfield beginning at 1 pm.   

Links to live coverage can be found at gofightingsaints.com/coverage. You can also keep up with everything happening around USF Athletics on Twitter @USFSaints.