BOURBONNAIS, Ill. – Matt Kozlak's RBI single with two outs in the 11th inning supported a prolonged shutout pitching performance by Anthony Nicholas and Jalan Williams as the Roosevelt baseball team split a road twinbill at Olivet Nazarene at Watson Field on Tuesday.
The Lakers (16-18, 12-7 CCAC) won the opener 1-0 and were on the wrong end of a blanking in the nightcap as the Tigers (19-15, 9-6 CCAC) took a 10-0 decision in the finale.
A duel of pitchers ensued in the opener, and Nicholas was happy to hold up his end of the bargain. The veteran righthander went eight innings and allowed just four hits while striking out 11 ONU hitters.
When Nicholas departed after nearly 130 pitches, Williams was up to the task in keeping the shutout intact. The senior reliever allowed just three hits in three scoreless frames to eventually get the decision.
Williams got the decision because of Kozlak's offensive heroics in extra innings. After Andrew Bohlmann walked to lead off the 11th and moved to second on Jonah Meidl-Zahorodny's sacrifice bunt, Matt Marrera moved Bohlmann 90 feet away from scoring the go-ahead run on a base hit.
That set up Kozlak, who sent a ball into center off of Nick Campe to allow Bohlmann to break the scoreless deadlock.
Williams was able to shut the door in the bottom of the 11th to secure the victory.
In the nightcap, the Lakers couldn't manufacture offense against the Olivet pitching pair of Mason Sherrill and Alexander DeYoung. That duo combined for a seven-inning one-hitter to blank the Lakers' offense.
Olivet scored a run in each of the first four frames before breaking the game open with a six-run fifth.
Roosevelt continues its conference road swing with a single game at Indiana South Bend on Wednesday.
