JOLIET, Ill. --- Josh Kirnbauer had a Senior Day to remember forever, hitting a two-run, walk-off home run to send the University of St. Francis baseball team to a 9-7 come-from-behind victory over Olivet Nazarene University in the Fighting Saints' regular-season finale Saturday afternoon at Duly Health & Care Field.  USF dropped the first game of the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader by a 4-2 count.

For Kirnbauer's walk-off, go to Video.

John McGuire, another senior, also had a big day, going 4-for-8 with a run batted in.  He was along for the ride on Kirnbauer's home run, which completed USF's comeback from an initial 6-1 deficit after three-and-one-half innings.

Nate Maliska, Jake Merda and Jake Klepacz added three hits each with Klepacz's two-run home run sparking the rally.

Game 1: Olivet Nazarene 4, USF 2
Olivet Nazarene (22-27, 19-13 CCAC) scored all of its runs in the first innings off Saint starter Mack Malczewski (4-3), who permitted only four hits the rest of the way in the complete-game effort.

After having only two hits through the first three innings, the Saints (25-19, 23-9) started to chip away at the deficit in the fourth inning.  A pair of hits from Klepacz and Merda, along with a hit batsman, set up Cliff Vickers' sacrifice fly.

USF then made it a 4-2 game one inning later with a Maliska RBI single.  The Saints, however, would leave the bases loaded in that inning as well as seven runners on base over the final four innings and would never get any closer the rest of the way.  For the game, St. Francis left ten men on base.

McGuire and Klepacz each had two hits for the Saints.

Game 2: USF 9, Olivet Nazarene 7
Olivet Nazarene looked as though it was going to ruin the Saints' Senior Day after building a 6-1 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning.  Klepacz and company, however, had other thoughts.  The junior right fielder started a four-run rally with his two-run home run and Merda made it a 6-5 game with his two-out, two-run double to right center field. 

A heads-up baserunning play by Alex Mielcarz got the Saints back even two innings later.  After leading off the sixth inning with a walk and advancing to second base on a nifty steal, Mielcarz went to third base on a groundout by Brayan Hidalgo.  Jack Salzeider then hit a hard shot back to the pitcher, who initially looked at Mielcarz at third base before throwing to first.  Mielcarz took off on the throw to first base and beat the throw home to knot the score at six-all.

A Merda leadoff triple and McGuire's single in the seventh inning gave the Saints their first lead of the game only to have Olivet Nazarene tie the contest at seven-all with a double and a sacrifice fly in its final at-bat.  The Tigers also had a chance to tie the contest one inning earlier, but Anthony Panzella came on in relief with a runner at second base with only one out and was able to get out of the jam.

Ethan Fleming and Zac Blazekovich also pitched well in relief.  Fleming tossed 3 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball and Blazekovich (2-0) pitched the final inning to record the win.  

The Hollywood finish started with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning.  McGuire was hit by a pitch and Kirnbauer followed with his home run to left center field on a 1-1 pitch.



McGuire, Maliska and Merda all had a pair of hits in the win.

Notes: In-between games, the USF baseball program recognized its six seniors as well as athletic department student photographer Jaclyn Duske.  Besides Kirnbauer and McGuire, the baseball group included Malczewski, Dan Gusel, Matt Lopez and Sam Pileggi … Kirnbauer's home run was the second of the season for him and the fifth of his career … Up until the home run, Kirnbauer had gone hitless in his previous 13 at-bats against the Olivet Nazarene pitching staff … Klepacz's home run was his first in a St. Francis uniform … After not getting any extra-base hits in the first three games of the series, the Saints had a double, triple and the two home runs in the finale … Drew Dant had an all-important first plate appearance in Game 2.  In his only at-bat, he walked to extend his on-base streak to 31 straight games.  An injury in the fourth inning kept him from having any more at-bats the rest of the contest … The magical number eight struck again with USF improving to 18-0 on the season when scoring eight or more runs in a game … St. Francis' 15 assists in the nightcap were a season high … USF opens conference tournament play on Thursday at 1 pm against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.  The Saints gained the No. 1 seed in the six-team field by winning the regular-season conference title.  Because the conference slipped below the ten-team threshold for two bids to the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round, that bid will go to the conference tournament champion this year.  

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