ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Northland College Baseball team dropped the first two games of the series 3-2 and 8-11 to Rockford University Saturday evening in Rockford, Ill.
 
To start the day, Dezmon LeTexier had the first hit in the top of the first to center field, but would remain there to end the inning. The Regents would get their first hit with two out in the first. After a stolen base and an error, he would be at third. The Jacks intentionally walked the next batter to put runners on the corners. Ethan Boyce would get out of the inning with a strikeout.
 
Peyton Solberg and Caden Willis would single in the second, but the game remained scoreless. Rockford would get two runners in scoring positions in the bottom half of the inning, but a groundball to Jonjay Arreazola would end the inning.
 
The bottom of the sixth had the first run scored after a two-run home run by Rockford. Northland would respond in the top of the seventh. LeTexier drew a leadoff walk and Ridge Guyette followed with a two-run shot to level things at two. Solberg singled right after, but a double play ended the momentum.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Rockford would regain the lead after another home run, this time a solo shot to left field. Gabe Villa started the ninth with a leadoff hit through the left side. Chace Varnado entered as a pinch runner and got into scoring position after stealing second base. Arreazola would then draw a two-out walk. Northland was unable to tie things up as they dropped game one 3-2.
 
Rockford out-hit the LumberJacks 8-to-7. Solberg led NC with two hits, both singles. Guyette had the only extra base hit with a homerun, scoring the Jacks' two runs. Nathan Davison, LeTexier, Villa, and Willis all had hits in the opening game. Boyce pitched the full eight innings for Northland, totaling seven strikeouts, two walks, and three earned runs.
 
LeTexier started game two the same as game one with a single. Rockford struck first in the first inning after an error, hit, and then advanced home after someone got caught stealing. Andrew Birko would get out of the inning, retiring the next two batters.
 
Solberg started the second with a leadoff walk followed by a two-run home run by Caden Willis to put Northland on top 2-1. The lead was short-lived as the Regents had back-to-back hits in the third with a single and a double. Rockford went ahead with a sac fly.
 
Rockford began to extend its lead, adding three more runs on four straight hits. In the following inning, RU pushed four more runs across the plate to go up 10-2. Boyce started the seventh inning with a free base after getting hit. Arreazola singled to put runners on first and second. Davison would score Boyce with a single. In the bottom half of the inning, Rockford would get the run back.
 
Guyette had his second home run of the day to start the eighth inning. Northland would have a few more base runners but would trail 4-11. In the ninth inning, the Jacks had the bases loaded with one out after three walks. Solberg singled and drove in two runs, cutting the lead to five. Willis reached on a fielder choice and scored a run, but Northland was down to its final out. Boyce walked, and Mychal Castillo singled to score another run for the Jacks. Arreazola was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The Jacks' rally would come up short after a strikeout, ending the game 11-8 in favor of Rockford.
 
Northland had 11 hits in game two, with Davison, Solberg, Castillo, and Arreazola recording two. Guyette and Willis had extra base hits after sending the ball over the ball. Willis led the team with three RBIs, and Solberg followed with two. Willis and Guyette scored a team-high two runs. Birko started the game on the mound, pitching five innings with one strikeout and five earned runs. Anthony Boyle pitched the following inning, adding another K and four earned runs, and Vinny Cooney finished the game with one strikeout and one earned run.
 
The LumberJacks and Rockford conclude the three-game series tomorrow (Sunday), with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.