Rockford Box Score
ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst College baseball team improved to 12-18 overall after rallying for a 10-7 victory over Rockford College.
Elmhurst rallied for six runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to earn the win. Trailing 7-4 entering the inning, Vince Mathe led off the frame with a single. Brett Lilley followed with a walk and Ryan Schrader singled to load the bases, chasing Rockford's Will Kuchelmeister in the process.
Jeff Jacobson entered the game for Rockford and promptly walked Nick Herrera, forcing in a run for Elmhurst. Mike Kerr followed with an RBI single to bring the Bluejays to within a run at 7-6. Dan Matkovic then delivered the big blow by blasting a grand slam to put the Bluejays on top for good.
Elmhurst took a 1-0 lead in the second after Lilley singled home a run. The lead was short-lived as Rockford scored three runs in the top of the third. The Bluejays closed to within a run in the bottom of the third after Matkovic scored on a Rockford error. The Regents scored a run in the fourth to push their lead to 4-2.
The Bluejays tied the game at four with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. After retiring the first two hitters, Kuchelmeister struggled to find the strike zone, walking the next five Bluejay batters and forcing in two runs.
Rockford reclaimed the lead in the seventh as Chris Brockman smashed a two-run homer to put the Regents up 6-4. Rockford added a run in the top of the eighth to take a 7-4 lead before the Bluejays mounted their eighth inning rally.
Matkovic finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs scored and four RBI, all coming on the grand slam. Lilley also recorded two hits, scored a pair of runs, and drove in one in the victory. Herrera and Kerr collected two RBI apiece in the Elmhurst win.
Brockman was Rockford's hitting star in the loss. He finished 2-for-5 with five RBI.
Joe Luft (3-3) earned the win in relief for the Bluejays. He allowed three runs and two hits in two innings of work. He walked three and struck out two. Cyrus Rogers pitched a scoreless ninth inning to notch his second save of the season.
Elmhurst travels to Carroll University on Thursday, April 23.
