JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Elmhurst baseball team slipped to 2-2 on the season after suffering a pair of tightly contested games to the University of Chicago and Loras College.
Elmhurst dropped their opening game of the day, falling 13-12 to Chicago. The Bluejays fell 5-1 to Loras to close out the day and finish their season-opening road trip with a 2-2 record.
CHICAGO 13, ELMHURST 12 - The Bluejays suffered their first loss of the season after dropping a one-run slugfest to Chicago.
Reagan McReynolds bashed a pair of three-run homers and drove in a team-high seven in the loss.
Elmhurst built a 6-4 lead after five innings and went up 9-4 after McReynolds cracked his second three-run homer of the game in the top of the sixth. Chicago surged back with five runs in the bottom of the frame to knot the score at 9-9.
The Bluejays went back in front 11-9 with RBIs from Jacob McMillian and McReynolds in the top of the seventh, but Chicago answered back with three runs in the bottom of the inning to take a one-run lead. The Maroons added a run in the eighth to take a 13-11 lead into the ninth.
Ben Havel doubled in McReynolds to bring the Bluejays to within a run, but Elmhurst came no closer, falling by just one run.
McReyolds led the way for Elmhurst at the plate with three hits, three runs scored and seven driven in. Havel added a pair of doubles and drive in a run for the Bluejays.
Evan Berliner added two hits, scored three runs and knocked home a run for Elmhurst.
Trey Compton also scored three runs for the Bluejays.
Conrad Hickey paced Chicago's offense, finishing 3-for-5 at the plate with two runs scored and three RBIs. Thomas Prescott, Brady Sarkon and Josh Parks all collected three hits apiece for the Maroons.
Kiko Mari took the loss in relief, allowing seven runs and five hits in 2.2 innings of work. He walked four and struck out one.
LORAS 5, ELMHURST 1 - Loras scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to hand Elmhurst its second straight loss.
Havel smashed a solo homer to right in the first inning to give Elmhurst an early 1-0 lead, but it would finish as the Bluejays' only run of the game. Loras evened the score with a run in the bottom of the third before breaking the game open with four runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Elmhurst had scoring chances in the later innings, but came up empty. The Bluejays loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but a double play got Loras out of the inning. Elmhurst had runners in scoring position in both the eighth and ninth innings as well, but were unable to put runs on the scoreboard.
Both teams starting pitchers fared well as the game was a pitcher's dual for the first seven innings.
Daryl Rivera made the start for Elmhurst and took the loss, pitching 7.1 innings and allowing just five hits and three runs (two earned). Tyler Tomaka earned the win for Loras in relief, pitching the final 2.2 innings and allowing just two hits and two walks while fanning one. Nick Spiess pitched 6.1 innings for the Duhawks and allowed just three hits and one run while striking out eight.
