The Aurora University baseball team swept a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader on Friday afternoon with the visiting Regents of Rockford University. AU won a pitchers dual in game one 1-0 and out-battled the Regents in game two winning 8-3.
Game One Score:Â Â #15Â Aurora University 1, Rockford University 0
Game Two Score:Â #15 Aurora University 8, Rockford University 3
Record: Aurora University 16-5 overall and 6-2 NACC; Rockford University 6-14 overall; 2-4 NACC
Location:Â Jim Schmid Field at the Stuart Sports Complex in Montgomery, Illinois
Game One:
- AU starter
Adrian Ruiz worked out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning.
- In the second,
Logan Riley made a diving stop to save a run and end the inning at third base.
- As the baseball gods would have it, Riley led off the bottom of the inning for the Spartans.
- Riley singled, moved to third on a wild pick off throw from Rockford pitcher Paul Turelli.
-
Sean Rivera then reached on an infield single which scored Riley.
- AU threatened again in the third, loading the bases with one out but would not score.
- Ruiz gave way to
Sam Harvey in the sixth inning with one out.
- Harvey quickly struck out the first batter he faced while
Tyler Patton threw out a Regent base runner to end the inning.
- A 1-2-3 seventh by Harvey preserved the AU 1-0 victory and gave him his second save in as many games.
Game Two:
- The Spartans wasted little time in game two scoring twice in the first with a double from
Derek Angelo scoring
Nico Bermeo and Angelo scoring on a single from
Nik Panico.
- AU starter Joey Petit and his Rockford counterpart settled in for the next several innings until the fifth.
- A pair of AU errors allowed Rockford to score twice and tie the game 2-2.
- In the sixth, a hit by pitch was followed by two singles and AU now trailed 3-2.
- The AU bats answered immediately in the bottom of the inning, retaking the lead.
- A hit by pitch and two walks loaded the bases for
Dominick Curcio and his fielders choice scored Panico with the tying run.
- In the next at bat,
Spencer Ruch struck out swinging and Curcio appeared to be thrown out trying to steal but the throw went astray which allowed
Sean Rivera to score with the eventual winning run.
- Spartan
Owen Piazza came in to relieve Petit in the sixth and tossed 3-2/3 hit-less innings to collect his first collegiate win.
- The AU bats added four insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to seal the win, 8-3.
- Two walks and a Ruch infield single were followed by a single from
Joe Lukancic that scored Curcio.Â
-
Derek Angelo hit a deep fly out that scored Ruch and after Riley was walked, Panico drove in a pair with a laser base hit up the middle.
- Piazza made quick work of the Regents in the ninth to seal his win and AU celebrated the sweep with an 8-3 game two win.

Game One:
HITTING
HITS: Logan Riley,
Nico Bermeo and
Sean Rivera (1)
DOUBLE: Nico Bermeo (1)
RUNS:Â
Logan Riley (3)
RUNS BATTED IN: Sean Rivera (1)
PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Adrian Ruiz (5.1) and
Sam Harvey (1.2)
DECISIONS:Â
Adrian Ruiz (win 3-1) and
Sam Harvey (save, 2)
Game Two:
HITTING
HITS: Joe Lukancic (3)
DOUBLE: Joe Lukancic and
Derek Angelo (1)
RUNS:Â
Nico Bermeo (2)
RUNS BATTED IN: Nik Panico (3) and
Derek Angelo (2)
PITCHING:
APPEARANCES (innings): Joey Petit (5.1) and
Owen Piazza (3.2)
DECISIONS: Owen Piazza (win 1-0)
Next action for the Spartan baseball team comes on day, Saturday, April 6 when they host Concordia University Wisconsin. First pitch of the doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m. at Jim Schmid Field at the Stuart Sports Complex in Montgomery, Illinois.