CHICAGO – Chicago State University baseball opened a four-game Great West Conference series Friday here at Brooks Field with a doubleheader split against Texas-Pan American falling by a score of 5-3 in the first game before capturing a 4-1 victory in the nightcap.
The visitors opened the first game with a three-run rally in the first inning which was highlighted by a two-RBI double from junior Angel Ibanez off Chicago State starter Eric Hall (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Trafalgar) (Oakville, Ontario) to right center.
CSU (6-29, 4-10) regrouped in the second inning to post three runs of its own against Broncs starting pitcher Colby McCasland to even the score at 3-3 with junior Johnny Cantu (Chicago, Ill./Morton CC) (Chicago, Ill.) blasting a two-run single to center field that plated seniors Jack Bobillo (Michigan City, IN/Kalamazoo Valley CC) (Michigan City, Ind.) and William Hill (Wheaton, Ill./Glenbard South) (Wheaton, Ill.).
In the fourth inning, junior Derek Hagy lined a single to center field off Hall to bring home a pair of runs to give UTPA (22-12, 9-5) a 5-3 lead.
The Cougars threatened in the seventh inning with runners on first and third with one out, but reliever Zack Zouzalik forced the final two outs to end the game.
Senior Ryan Malhotra (Oakville, ONT/Niagara County CC) (Oakville, Ontario) paced CSU on the offensive end by going 2-of-3 and scored a run, while Cantu finished 1-of-1 with two RBI. Hall (1-3) took the loss as he produced two strikeouts in 6.1 innings thrown despite allowing five runs on nine hits.
Hagy and senior Roger Bernal each went 2-of-4 at the plate with two RBI and scored a run to pace the Broncs. Senior Michael Zouzalik (3-0) threw 4.1 relief innings and struck out six batters to earn the win for UTPA, while senior Zach Zouzalik threw a scoreless seventh inning to record the save.
The second game opened as a pitcher duel between CSU freshman Andrew Wellwerts (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) (Cedar Lake, Ind.) and UTPA junior Dusten Knight for the first three innings.
The duel lasted until the fourth inning when the Cougars produced took a 4-0 advantage on RBI singles from Hill, Malhotra, senior Jeremy Ratajczyk (Highland, IN/Indiana University Northwest) (Highland, Ind.) and freshman Aveeno Nasiloski (Hammond, Ind./Gavit) (Hammond, Ind.).
UTPA got on the board in the eighth inning when junior Chris Torres brought home senior Vincent Mejia from third with an RBI infield groundout that sliced its deficit to 4-1, but the Green and White held on for the win.
Nasiloski and Ratajczyk each tallied two hits to lead the Cougars. Wellwerts claimed his first collegiate victory on the mound by posting seven strikeouts and allowed a run on six hits in seven innings of work, while senior Steven O'Hair (Scottsdale, AZ/GateWay CC) (Phoenix, Ariz.) tallied a strikeout in two relief innings for CSU.
Bernal paced UTPA at the plate by hitting 2-of-4 with a double. Knight (3-3) allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings thrown and recorded a game-high 10 strikeouts.
Both teams will meet in a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon at Brooks Field with a start time of 12 noon.
~CSU~
