Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 The Aurora University baseball team dropped a pair in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader at Rockford University on Saturday afternoon.

Game One
Rockford  9
Aurora  7

The Spartans scored a run in the first inning with the aid of a Rockford fielding error. With two outs, Jared Swain singled and moved to third on a double from Dillon Popovich. Zach Flores then reached on an error from the Rockford shortstop that scored Swain but Popovich was thrown out at the plate trying to score.

Rockford got three runs in the bottom of the second off AU starting pitcher Cody Love. In the fourth, Rockford scored another run that was charged to Love after Jared Steck came in on relief.

The home Regents added three more runs for a 7-1 AU deficit in the fifth inning, aided by two walks and two errors. Rockford added two more runs in the sixth inning for a 9-1 advantage.

Trailing by eight in the final at bat, the Spartans showed they would not lay down quietly. AU pieced together six hits, one walk and two Rockford errors to score six runs and had two runners on with two outs when the final out would be made for the final score of 9-7.

Game Two
Rockford  4
Aurora  3

The Spartans built an early lead but could not hang on late as they fell 4-3. AU got back to back singles to start the game from Tanner Oymaian and Daniel Walczak before Swain doubled to score them both for a 2-0 lead.

AU starting pitcher Tyler Findlay held Rockford hitless for the first six innings and the AU bats gave him another run in the fourth inning. Corey Landers led off with a double and moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on one as well.

In the seventh inning, Findlay allowed the first hit against him on the day but he followed up with two walks to load the bases. Head Coach Lane Stahl called to the bullpen and freshman Ottavio Dattolo. Dattolo faced three hitters and allowed two runs to score and Stahl went back to the bullpen for Henry Erickson. After getting a strikeout for the second out, Erickson yielded a single that scored two giving Rockford a 4-3 lead.

The Spartans could not manage a base runner over the final two innings and would fall by the final score of 4-3.

With the losses, AU is now 10-26 overall and 6-12 in the NACC. Next action for the Spartan baseball team comes on Monday, April 28 when they travel to Elmhurst College. Game time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Elmhurst, Ill.