CLINTON, Iowa -- Ryan Louthan drove home the game-winning run in a 10-inning affair and the University of St. Francis baseball team recorded the win with its 4-3 victory over St. Ambrose University (Iowa) in the opener of its Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader before falling to the Bees 1-0 in the nightcap on Tuesday afternoon at NelsonCorp Field in Clinton, Iowa.

Five different players registered multiple hits on the day for St. Francis (14-24, 11-13 CCAC) led by first baseman Nate Maliska, who went a combined 3-for-7 at the plate.  Jake Merda and Ethan Fleming each went 2-for-7, while Dylan Scafuri and Noah Munson both picked up four walks apiece in their combined 15 appearances at the plate.  Ashton Roye also connected for his first RBI and base hit of his collegiate career with a sacrifice fly and infield single, respectively, in his first two-at bats of Game 1.

Game 1:  USF 4, St. Ambrose 3 (10 innings)
A tight battle ended in USF's favor on Louthan's go-ahead double to right field to score Jaedon Martin in the tenth inning with the winning run.  That ended a 3-3 standoff after St. Ambrose (23-14, 18-6) tied the score in the eighth inning.

The Bees were the first to score in the first frame after a bases loaded sacrifice fly put the hosts up 1-0.  St. Francis duplicated the feat one inning later when Roye connected for a sacrifice fly of his own to score Dominik Alberico, who had reached base earlier with a single, to knot the score at 1-1.

The Saints then took advantage of a big defensive miscue from SAU in the sixth inning to plate two additional runs.  After Louthan reached base via a leadoff double, an errant throw on a sacrifice bunt from Munson allowed Louthan to score with Ethan Fleming driving home Munson one batter later.

Six USF pitchers combined on the 4-3 extra inning victory with none seeing more than 2 2/3 innings of work.  Anthony Panzella (6-2), who gained the win, was one of three pitchers to author a scoreless outing and also one of three to face one batter over the minimum number of hitters within his innings of work.  The six hurlers combined to allow the three earned runs on the afternoon, despite scattering 11 hits in the contest.

Louthan finished the game going 2-for-5 at the plate with two doubles.  Alberico (2-for-5) also connected for two hits, while Scafuri and Munson each coaxed two walks in the game as part of six total for St. Francis hitters.

Game 2:  St. Ambrose 1, USF 0
Jack Otis (4-4) shouldered the Saints' 1-0 loss in Game 2 after scattering just four hits and striking out five.  St. Francis did get runners to second and third base in the second inning – but the Bees were able to get out of that jam with a line out to shortstop. The Saints also had a runner in scoring position in the third and fifth innings.

The Bees got their run in the fourth after a two-out walk resulted in the eventual game-winning run after a stolen base followed by a single up the middle gave St. Ambrose the 1-0 lead.

Maliska led all Saints at the plate with his 2-for-3 performance.  USF's other two hits came from Merda and Fleming, while Scafuri and Munson duplicated their Game 1 showing with two more walks apiece.

Up Next
The Saints will travel to Hammond, Ind. to take on the Pride of Purdue University Northwest on Friday, April 10.  The non-conference contest is slated to begin at 1 pm at Laborers' Local 41 Field.

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