Box Score JOLIET, Ill. --- A six-run first inning held up for the University of St. Francis baseball team as the Fighting Saints made it three straight wins with a 6-5 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over Calumet College of St. Joseph on Friday afternoon. The second game was halted by snow showers in the top of the second inning with USF leading 4-1, but Calumet St. Joseph threatening.
St. Francis' six runs surprisingly came after the first two batters were retired as the Saints put together seven straight hits, three of which were doubles.
Nate Maliska got things started with his double down the left-field line.
Jake Klepacz and
Brayan Hidalgo then singled with Hidalgo's hit driving in the first run.
Drew Dant (2-for-2) then made it a 3-0 Saint lead with his two-run double before being pushed home himself on a
John McGuire single.
Cliff Vickers followed with the team's third double and both he and McGuire scored on
Jake Merda's two-run single.
The Saints (7-12, 5-2 CCAC) would manage just two hits the rest of the afternoon.
Calumet St. Joseph (11-16, 4-5) would start its own rally in the second inning before putting together two-run frames in both the fourth and fifth innings.
Jacob Jurka and
Zac Blazekovich came on in relief to cool off the Crimson Wave bats with one inning of scoreless relief each with the latter earning his first collegiate save.
Ethan Fleming (1-3) also gained his first collegiate win by working the first five innings.
Notes: The second game will be picked up where it left off with two outs and the bases loaded for Calumet St. Joseph in the top of the second inning. The conclusion is expected to take place Sunday at noon at Whiting's Oil City Stadium weather pending … USF's three-game win streak is its longest of the year … The Saints' three doubles tied a season-high mark … Dant took over the team lead in multi-hit games with his seventh of the campaign. He and Maliska also now have the longest hitting streaks of the season at six games …
Alex Martinez saw his 13-game streak of reaching base snapped in Game 1 … Klepacz now has the longest on-base streak at nine games.
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.
