HAMMOND, Ind. – Ray Hilbrich's (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) grand slam to deep right field capped off a six-run sixth inning as the Purdue Northwest baseball team defeated Upper Iowa 14-10 in come-from-behind fashion in Game 1 of a Sunday doubleheader. PNW also won Game 2 by a 12-7 final score after falling behind early.
The Pride are now 8-1 on the season and the eight consecutive wins are a program record. During those eight wins, PNW has scored an astounding 65 runs for just over eight runs per game.
In Game 1,
Jake Soules (Troy, Mich./Troy High School) and
Ethan Imlach (Mokena, Ill./Mount Carmel) both reached safely on infield singles before
Tyler Schultz (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) brought both in on a double down the right-field line to get things going in the first inning.
Alex Gasbarro's (New Lenox, Ill./St. Laurence High School) RBI single up the middle with one out plated Schultz just prior to
Bret Matthys (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central) and
Anthony Fumagalli (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North High School) collecting back-to-back doubles, with Fumagalli's scoring both Gasbarro and Matthys. Soules would round out the scoring with his second hit of the inning allowing Fumagalli to score for a 6-0 lead.
The lead would be short-lived as the Peacocks (2-8) put up eight runs in their next at-bat for an 8-6 advantage. Upper Iowa then added onto their lead with a two-run homer to right in the top of the fourth.
PNW's bats went silent until the bottom of the fifth when Matthys deposited a towering shot over the right-field fence, his first collegiate homer, cutting the deficit down to two (10-8) to awake the PNW dugout and fans in the stands.
The roar of the Pride was easily heard throughout Dowling Park in the bottom of the sixth inning when the rally was completed as the first six batters of the inning scored, culminating in Hilbrich's grand slam. Soules and Imlach also drove in a run each in the decisive rally for the Pride.
Joe Buikema (Chicago, Ill./Notre Dame College Prep) picked up his first win of the season in the Game 1 victory in relief by tossing three innings and allowing two earned runs on three hits while striking out three and giving up zero walks.
Riley Gallagher (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North High School) tossed the final inning, giving up a hit and a walk as well as collecting a strikeout.
Eight of the nine starters in the batting order scored and tallied a hit with Soules and Fumagalli leading the way with three hits each. Soules went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two batted in while Fumagalli also went 3 for 4 while also collecting two RBI and one run scored. Matthys, Imlach and Schultz notched two-hit outings themselves.
Game 2 saw PNW starting pitcher
Sam Shively (Mishawaka, Ind./Mishawaka (Taylor)) get out to a shaky start allowing three runs in the first three innings, but he was able to settle in and retire nine of the final 10 batters he faced picking up his second win against no losses this season.
Trailing by a 3-0 mark heading into the bottom of the fourth, Matthys' single through the right side to score Hilbrich and Schultz energized the Pride once again.
Soules would later pick up the first of his two triples in the game, this time with the bases loaded, driving in all three for the Pride's first lead of the game at 5-3.
PNW tacked on a run in the seventh when Hilbrich got caught in a rundown and Schultz raced in to score on the play.
Upper Iowa inched close with a pair of runs in the eighth to make it 6-5, but the Pride burst the game wide open with six runs on six hits.
Jack Gallagher (Bloomington, Ind./Bloomington North High School), Soules, Imlach and Gasbarro all drove in a run with Soules notching his second triple in the game.
The Peacocks added a pair of runs in the ninth for the 12-7 final score.
Hilbrich (3), Soules (2), Gasbarro (2) and Matthys (2) each had multi-hit outings with Schultz (3), Hilbrich (2), Matthys (2) and
Luke Montgomery (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence High School) (2) all driving in more than one apiece.
Anthony Noble (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central High School) was strong in relief on the mound going three innings with two unearned runs on two hits and three strikeouts.
Joe Tor (Homer Glen, Ill./Lockport (South Surburban CC)) came in and hurled the final inning for the Pride.
UP NEXT
The Pride will be on the road for a midweek doubleheader on Tuesday at the University of Indianapolis. First pitch of Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. CDT.
FOLLOW THE PRIDE
For all the latest information on Purdue Northwest Baseball, please visit PNWathletics.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Pride (@pnwathletics / @PNW_Baseball) on Twitter. You can also find the Pride on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.
