JOLIET, Ill. --- John McGuire and Nate Maliska each had a pair of multi-hit games and the University of St. Francis baseball team's pitching staff allowed only four hits in each end of 14-3 and 10-0 victories over Judson University on Friday afternoon at Duly Health and Care Field to get the Fighting Saints back to .500 on the season at 14-14 overall.

The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference wins also enabled USF to head into the midpoint of the league season with a two-game lead at 12-4.

Batting leadoff for the first time this year, McGuire authored three hits in both games – 6-for-7 on the day – with six runs scored.  Maliska and Max Montgomery each collected four hits with Montgomery driving in five runs and Maliska four on the day.

Ryan Daly (7-1) went the distance in the opener to extend his winning streak to seven games.  Sean Michalak and Mack Malczewski (3-2) combined on the Saints' first shutout of the season in Game 2.

Game 1: USF 14, Judson 3
USF spotted Judson (6-26, 1-13) a 2-0 lead after the first half-inning before the Saints scored 14 of the final 15 runs of the contest, including seven in the second inning. 

Six different St. Francis players had at least two hits with five of those individuals also driving in two or more runs.  That list included Montgomery (3 hits-4 RBIs), Maliska (2-2), Jake Klepacz (2-3), Drew Dant (2-2) and Jake Merda (2-2).

Merda drove in his two runs in the big second inning, where Klepacz also had a two-run triple.  Montgomery had a two-run double in a three-run third inning and joined Klepacz and Dant with RBI singles in a three-run fifth inning.

After a shaky first inning in which he allowed a pair of hits and the two runs, Daly permitted only two hits over his final six frames and struck out 11 batters on the afternoon against two walks.

Game 2: USF 10, Judson 0
The Saints' pitching staff registered its first blanking of the season courtesy of Michalak and Malczewski, who combined to retire 14 batters in a row at one point.  Both players split the eight innings evenly with Michalak scattering three hits and striking out one batter. 

Malczewski retired the first nine batters he faced upon entering in the fifth inning before an error to open the eighth inning ended that streak.  Three of his 12 outs were strikeouts.

Offensively, the Saints put up runs in six of their eight at-bats with Maliska, Brayan Hidalgo and Cliff Vickers all driving in a pair of runs.  Hidalgo was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate and joined McGuire in the three-hit club.  Maliska and Josh Kirnbauer each had a pair of hits.     

Notes: Daly has struck out 10 or more batters in each of his last three starts and four times total on the season.  He now has 62 strikeouts against only ten walks in 44 2/3 innings this spring … Daly's complete game was his third of the campaign … Dant had his team-high 14-game hitting streak snapped in Game 2, but his reaching-base streak continued on at 15 games.  Montgomery is one behind at 14 games … Montgomery and McGuire now have the longest hitting streaks at eight games apiece … Montgomery recorded career highs in hits (three) and RBIs (four) in Game 1 … With his two multi-RBI contests on Friday, Hidalgo has tied Dant for the team lead with eight such games in said category … The Saints wrap up the four-game series with Judson on Saturday in Elgin.  First pitch for Game 1 of the doubleheader is slated for 1 pm.  

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