St. Ambrose keeps season alive with win over VIterbo
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saint Xavier (IL) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 10 | 0 |
|
St. Ambrose (IA) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
St. Ambrose (IA) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 11 | 3 |
|
Viterbo | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 3 |
Jeremy Conforti and Brandon Roth each drove in three runs and Joe Turek worked into the eighth inning as St. Ambrose kept its season alive with an 8-2 win over Viterbo in an elimination game at the CCAC Tournament Thursday.
The Bees found their backs against the wall following a 12-1 loss to Saint Xavier earlier in the day at Slammers Stadium in Joliet, Ill.
SAU spotted Viterbo a 1-0 lead in the first inning before battling back.
Conforti put the Bees in front, delivering a two-run single in the third inning that scored Quinn Flanagan and Daniel Laughery.
St. Ambrose broke things open in the fifth. Laughery started things off with a double. After a Jake Pauley ground out, Conforti ripped an RBI single to left center. Two batters later, Brandon Matias doubled in Conforti for a 4-1 lead. Filip Milatovic singled to put runners on the corners before pinch runner Ethan McCombs stole second. Roth came through with a double to bring in both runners to extend the lead to 6-1.
The V-Hawks got a run back in the eighth before Roth and Flanagan added insurance runs with run-scoring hits in the top of the ninth.
Conforti, Roth, Laughery and Flanagan each collected two hits. Kevin Niedzwiedz also singled in the victory.
Turek struck out five over 7 2/3 innings. He allowed just two runs, only one of which was earned. Parker Ruth recorded the final four outs, striking out three.
The win erased the memory of the 12-1 loss to Saint Xavier. The Bees managed just four hits - those coming from Laughery, Flanagan, Niedzwiedz and Joey Fitzgerald Jr. - and committed three errors.
The Cougars exploded for 11 runs in the fifth inning. The lone SAU run came in the sixth when Pauley drew a bases-loaded walk.
Brad Niedzwiedz was charged with the loss. Joe Evans and Noah Chase pitched in relief.
St. Ambrose will face another elimination game Friday against Olivet Nazarene at 4 p.m. The two tournament unbeatens Judson and Saint Xavier will play at 1 p.m. The loser of that game will play the SAU-ONU winner at 7 p.m. Friday. The CCAC Tournament championship game will be Saturday.