Baseball Takes Game Two Over Savannah State 14-5 To Record First Win of 2014

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game 1 PDF Box Score / Game 2 PDF Box Score

SAVANNAH, Ga. – Chicago State baseball earned their first victory of the season on Saturday (Feb. 22) thanks to a 14-5 defeat of Savannah State in game two of a doubleheader at Tiger Field. Chicago State fell in game one 7-4. The Cougars recorded four triples on the day.
 
Game One: Savannah State 7, Chicago State 4
For the third time in four games, Chicago State was the first on the board thanks to a pair of runs in the top of the first. Junior Robert Swenson (Mason City, Iowa/Mason City) had a two-out RBI single in the frame. The Tigers scored four times in their half of the first, chasing Chicago State starter senior Dylan Sterrett (Chalmers, Ind./Frontier) in the process.
 
Solo runs in the third and fourth tied the contest at four each, before two runs in the fifth and one in the seventh put the Tigers up 7-4. Junior Dane Mehring (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) came out of the pen and eventually took the loss. Savannah State starter Brandon Whitmore earned the win to move his record to 1-1. He allowed four runs (three earned) on 11 hits in 6.0 innings. Kevin Herlihy picked up the save for the Tigers.
 
Junior Mattingly Romanin (Burlington, ONT/Notre Dame) finished game one 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a triple in the third inning. He was one of four Cougars with two hits in the contest.
 
"We hit the ball all over the place today but left too many on in the first game," Chicago State head coach Steve Joslyn said.
 
Game Two: Chicago State 14, Savannah State 5
The Cougars totaled 16 hits in game two, the most since a 17-hit attack on April 21, 2012 at NYIT. That same game was the last time the Cougars reached the 14-run plateau in a game.
 
Chicago State's offensive effort in game two included three triples, with Romanin earning his second of the day.
 
Chicago State opened the scoring with three runs in the second and two in the third. Junior Evan Davis (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) recorded a two-out two-RBI single in the second.

The Tigers made it closer with a run in the fourth and three in the fifth, however they never tied the contest. Chicago State put the game away with a six spot in the eighth inning. Freshman Evan Regez (Kankakee, Ill./Herscher) singled in the first two on a hit up the middle. Junior Jared Patterson (Ventura, Calif./Buena) singled in a run and Davis knocked Patterson in later on in the inning on a triple to right center field.
 
Patterson finished with three hits, three RBI and two runs scored as well as being hit by a pitch twice. Davis knocked in four runs. Regez scored twice, recorded two RBI, had two hits and a walk.
 
Chicago State starter junior Ean McNeal (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier) picked up his first NCAA Division I win after allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits with three strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Junior Eric Hall (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Trafalgar) threw the final 4.0 innings, allowing just one run and two hits, to pick up his first career save.
 
"Ean pitched really well," Joslyn said. "Evan had a great game behind the plate, earned his first collegiate hit and came through in some big spots. We did a lot of good things today and had a relentless effort from the guys."
 
Savannah State is now 2-4. The Cougars are 1-4. The two clubs will conclude the three-game series on Sunday with a single game starting at noon ET.