FORT MYERS, Fla. -- The Rockford University baseball team took on the Alfred State College Pioneers in a doubleheader on Thursday. The Regents swept the Pioneers, beating them 6-5 in game one and 3-1 in game two.

The Regents will return to action tomorrow, March 13, with a noon EDT against Haverford College to finish off their spring break trip. 

Game One: Rockford 6, Alfred State 5

Trent Lawrence was dynamite with runners in scoring position. He went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs. Marcus Taylor kept up his hot week at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a walk and a two-run bomb over the left field wall. Kadin Bergstrom was 2-for-3 with two singles.

Zach Fabis earned his third win of the season in just under six innings of action. He struck out six and went into the sixth inning surrendering just one hit. Sidney Atkins took over for the final out of the sixth and got the outs he needed to secure his third save of the year.

The Regents drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Blaise Mace led off with a double and Lawrence brought him in with a double to left field to make it 1-0.

Rockford extended the lead in the bottom of the third. Lawrence came through again with multiple runners on base, driving Bergstrom home with a single to left. Taylor would score off of a throwing error. Bryce Stanton drove Lawrence in from third with a single to center, giving RU a 4-0 lead.

The Pioneers got on the board in the fourth. A leadoff single gave them their first hit of the game, and they made the score 4-1 with some help from Regent miscues.

Taylor drove in the Regent's fifth and sixth runs with his two-run homer to left field. Rockford had a 6-1 lead going into the sixth inning.

From there it got a little dicey. The Pioneers finally found some success against Fabis, scoring two runs off of four hits in the sixth. A two-run home run by Sean Connor in the seventh made it a one-run game, but Atkins was able to right the ship and secure the 6-5 win.

Game Two: Rockford 3, Alfred State 1

Marcus Taylor mashed again. He was 2-for-4 with an RBI double and a stolen base. Zach Fabis moved to center field for game two and went 2-for-3 with two singles at the dish. 

Bartolo Rodriguez was fantastic on the mound. He went the full seven innings, giving up just two hits to the Pioneers and striking out six. 

This was a defensive battle over the first three innings. Both teams were stifled at the plate by their respective starters.

The Regents were the first to break through. Taylor singled down the left field line to start the fourth. He scored from third later in the inning off an Austin Massat sacrifice bunt. Ryan Stary's single through the right side brought Lawrence home to put RU up 2-0.

Alfred State responded in the ensuing half inning. Rodriguez plunked the leadoff batter, who eventually was brought home off of a double down the left field line. The score was 2-1 after four. 

Rockford answered right back with another run in the fifth, off of yet another Taylor double to left field to score Fabis and extend the lead, 3-1.

From that point on the spotlight turned back to the pitching. Rodriguez never broke stride, displaying complete control from the rubber and shutting out the Pioneers over the final three innings. Rockford completed the Thursday sweep with a 3-1 win.
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