Schaumburg, Ill. - The Roosevelt baseball team dropped its third consecutive one-run decision, 6-5, in the opener and then suffered a 14-3 setback in game two as visiting St. Ambrose swept an afternoon doubleheader from the Lakers on Saturday at Alexian Field.
Roosevelt now sits at 5-18 on the year, while the Fighting Bees, out of the Midwest Collegiate Conference, improve to 9-17.
In game one, Roosevelt took the lead into the final inning, but couldn't close the door on St. Ambrose. The Fighting Bees rallied for a pair of runs in seventh off of reliever Uriel Padilla and then held on for a 6-5 victory.
Padillia, who had worked a perfect sixth inning after entering in relief of starter Brett Hoffman, ran into trouble in the seventh when he walked leadoff batter Scott Blanchette after jumping ahead in the count 0-2. St. Ambrose sacrificed pinch-runner Matt Lucas to second and then Mike Goveia delivered in the clutch, tying the game with a triple into the gap in right-centerfield. Tyler Gilles (2-for-4, 2 RBI) followed with a double into the same spot in right-center to put the Fighting Bees in front, 6-5.
The Lakers put the tying run on in the bottom of the seventh as junior Dave Plocharczyk walked to open the frame. St. Ambrose hurler Logan Frame would snuff out any Roosevelt rally hopes, retiring the next three batters to pick up his first save.
Roosevelt had taken the lead for the first time back in the bottom of the fifth inning, plating three runs to erase a 4-2 Fighting Bees advantage. Plocharczyk and Tony Valdes each recorded RBI singles to tie the game and then freshman T.J. Davis blooped a single into right field with two outs to score Valdes. It was Davis' first career RBI.
Junior Tim Storrs accounted for the Lakers' other two runs with a two-run single in the second inning. Storrs, Valdes, Davis and freshman Louie Diaz each had two hits for Roosevelt on the day as the Lakers pounded out 12 total hits. The 12 hits are the second-most the Lakers have tallied in a game this year.
Will Fuentes picked up the win in relief, allowing one run on four hits in two innings of work. He is now 3-3 on the season.
Padilla dropped to 0-3 this season, suffering the loss. He surrendered two runs on two hits in two innings. Hoffman worked five innings in a starting role. He was tagged for four runs, three earned, while striking out four.
In game two, the Fighting Bees scored in every inning but one and twice tallied five runs in a frame en route to a 14-3 triumph in six innings.
Roosevelt had its chances in the early going, but stranded eight runners on base in the first three innings.
Already owning a 3-0 lead, St. Ambrose stuck for five runs on five hits in the fourth inning. Four of the runs were charged to starter Ruben Lomeli, while the final tally came off of reliever T.J. Davis.
Roosevelt scratched the scoreboard for the first time in the fifth with Joey Malia and Dylan Grabowski each tallying an RBI to make the score 9-2.
The Fighting Bees plated five more in the sixth to build a 12-run advantage. Roosevelt answered with a run of their own in the bottom half of the sixth when Ernesto Irizarry doubled home Joe Bermudez, but it was not enough for the Lakers as the game was halted at the end of the inning via the run-rule.
Kevin Belk tossed four innings in relief for St. Ambrose to pick up his first win. He is now 1-4 on the year.
Lomeli was the losing pitcher, falling to 1-4 after giving up seven runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings.
The Lakers will look to snap their four-game losing streak on Monday when they travel to take on Saint Xavier in a single, 7-inning game at 3:30 p.m. The contest is a makeup of the team's postponed CCAC tilt from earlier in the season.
