photo courtesy Scott McCreary

St. Ambrose started a four-game series with Roosevelt by exploding for 29 runs and 36 hits in sweeping a doubleheader in Crestwood, Ill., Friday by scores of 13-4 and 16-10.

The Bees pounded out 10 extra-base hits in sweeping the twin bill.

Noah McCreary and Brandon Matias each homered in the opener. McCreary's solo shot ignited a four-run first inning. Brock Webber scored on an error before Bryce Vincent's single plated both Adrian Zietara and Joey Fitzgerald for a 4-0 lead.

The lead was doubled in the second. Webber and Matias had RBI hits before Zietara's single up the middle brought in two to push the lead to 8-0.

Roosevelt (18-17, 9-11 CCAC) scored twice in the third before Zietara's two-run double extended the lead to 10-2. Matias hit his three-run shot in the sixth as the margin grew to 13-3 before the Lakers scored a final run in the bottom of the sixth.

Webber finished 4-for-5 while McCreary and Matias each collected three hits. Zietara had a pair of hits in the win.

Sergio Marchizza earned the victory by allowing just five hits and two earned runs over six innings. He struck out six. Parker Ruth pitched a scoreless seventh.

The bats stayed hot in the second game. McCreary and Dan Laughery each collected four hits; Zietara had three; and Webber, Matias, Fitzgerald and Garrett Latoz each had two. Vincent had the team's other hit.

Despite Webber's RBI double in the top of the first, SAU trailed 3-1 after one. But the Bees responded with back-to-back four-run frames. McCreary drove in two and Webber one in the second before Laughery knocked in a pair and McCreary singled in one in the third as the Bees went in front 9-3.

Fitzgerald had an RBI hit in the fourth as the lead grew to 11-4. The Lakers battled back to within 11-9 before McCreary's two-run single in the seventh restored a 13-9 lead. After Roosevelt cut the deficit to 13-10, St. Ambrose (17-14, 11-7 CCAC) broke things open in the eighth. Laughery's two-run triple was followed by a run-scoring single from Latoz to account for the final score.

Ruth earned the win in relief of Frank Quinn. Ruth worked two innings before Nathaniel Johnson picked up the save by allowing a single run over the last three innings.

The two teams will complete their four-game set at NelsonCorp Field in Clinton, Iowa, Saturday.