WLC Unable To Keep Pace With Hot-Hitting Regents

WAUWATOSA, Wis. (WLCSports.com) - Wisconsin Lutheran College couldn't keep pace with a hot-hitting Rockford offense on Tuesday at Neumann Family Field, as the Warriors fell to the Regents in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference doubleheader by scores of 10-3 and 15-11. 

RU (10-14, 6-4 NACC) got out to an early 4-0 lead with a three-run homer and a solo shot in the top of the first. Rockford plated a run in the second and three more in the third to extend its lead to eight.

Freshman Ian Rintelman (Muskego, Wis.) drove in WLC's (4-19, 0-10 NACC) first two runs of the game with a two-out, two-RBI single in the bottom of the fourth, scoring sophomore Lucas Oswald (Muskego, Wis.) and junior Nolan Hodgins (Caledonia, Wis.). After sophomore starter Storm Portsche (Lincoln, Neb.) settled in with three straight scoreless innings, sophomore Eli Michaelis (Wauwatosa, Wis.) drove in senior Henry Strupp (Watertown, Wis.) with a single in the bottom of sixth, but Wisconsin Lutheran left the potential tying run on deck as the Regents escaped the jam with no further damage. RU's third homerun of the game, a two-run shot in the seventh, put the game out of reach for the Warriors. 

Michaelis led WLC with two hits and six other Wisconsin Lutheran players each added a hit. Rintelman drove in two of the three runs.

The Warriors got out to a quick 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first of game two. Oswald drew a bases loaded walk, Rintelman grounded out to third which drove in a run, and freshman Colt Ratliff (Oxford, Ga.) grounded out to shortstop, scoring the final run.

Rockford tied it up in the top of the second with three runs of its own. The Regents plated four more runs in the bottom of the third to take a 7-3 lead.

A double from Ratliff in the bottom of the third drove in senior Jake Sillan (Castle Rock, Colo.), and Rintelman drew another bases loaded walk in the fourth to cut WLC's deficit to 7-5.

RU responded with a run in the fifth and four runs in the sixth to take a 12-5 lead. Wisconsin Lutheran plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a RBI single from Rintelman, which scored freshman Aiden Montgomery (St. Louis, Mo.), and a two-run double from Ratliff sending home Rintelman and sophomore Tim Frerking (Oconomowoc, Wis.).

Rockford added three runs in the eighth, as it held a 15-8 advantage heading into the last of the ninth. Sophomore Xavier Tellez (San Antonio, Texas) got the scoring started for the Warriors with a RBI double and Montgomery blasted a two-run homer, his second of the season, cutting the final deficit to four.

Montgomery and Ratliff each tallied two hits, while driving in two and four runs respectively for WLC. Rintelman also recorded three RBI in the contest.

Wisconsin Lutheran is back at Neumann Family Field tomorrow for a NACC doubleheader with Lakeland (6-16, 1-9 NACC). First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. Live coverage links can be found at WLCSports.com.