Game 1 Box / Game 1 Box (PDF)
Game 2 Box / Game 2 Box (PDF)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Thanks to a pair of complete games from their starting pitchers, Lewis baseball swept a doubleheader at Bellarmine on Sunday afternoon by scores of 6-1 and 6-0. Senior Tyler Newsome (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist) (Palos Heights, Ill./Marist/South Suburban CC) threw 7.0 innings of four hit, one run baseball in the opener to improve his record to 3-1. Senior Joey Gradney (Rantoul, Ill./Rantoul) (Rantoul, Ill./Rantoul/Cleveland State) was even better in game two. He gave up just six hits in a nine inning shutout to move his record to 3-4.

“It all started on the mound with two complete games from Tyler and Joey,” head coach Tim McDonough said. “Their performances were key in responding from yesterday.”

Lewis took a quick lead in game one thanks to two runs in each of the first two innings. Junior Mike Bolling (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep) (Chicago, Ill./Guerin Prep/Triton) scored in each inning and also scored in the sixth inning. He finished 4-for-4 in the game with four singles and two stolen bases. Senior Mike Vucsko (Evergreen Park, Ill./Marist) (Evergreen Park, Ill./Marist) scored a pair of runs for Lewis. However the story of the game was Newsome, who didn't allow a leadoff batter to reach base until the seventh inning.

While Gradney was lights out on the mound in game two, he also received some help from the Flyers' offense. Lewis' 3-through-6 hitters went a combined 9-for-19 including three doubles.

The Flyers got on the board first by scoring two runs in the third inning. Bellarmine helped Lewis out by committing three errors in the inning. The Flyers added another run in the fourth inning on an RBI ground out by senior Ryan Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./LeRoy) (LeRoy, Ill./LeRoy). Newsome knocked in freshman Kyle Thomas (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic) (Homer Glen, Ill./Providence Catholic) in the seventh inning to make it 4-0. Thomas would score in the ninth with senior and Junior Andrew Brauer (Bolingbrook, Ill./Montini) (Bolingbrook, Ill./Montini/College Of DuPage) on a bases loaded double by senior Miguel Amesquita (Hometown, Ill./Brother Rice) (Hometown, Ill./Brother Rice/Triton) for a pair of insurance runs.

A big moment in the contest came in the eighth. The Knights had runners at first and third and one out when Gradney struck out Bellarmine's Braxton Graven. He then picked off the runner at first to end the inning.

“Joey's pickoff was huge,” McDonough said. “If they get a hit and make it a 4-1 or 4-2 game it really changes the dynamics of the game.”

The Lewis pitching staff surrendered just six runs in the four game series. The Flyers scored 12 runs on Sunday after scoring just three on Saturday.

“We played solid defense all day and as a whole we had better approaches at the plate,” McDonough said. “We were patient and took better swings in both games.”

Bellarmine falls to 25-19 (17-10 Great Lakes Valley Conference). Lewis improves to 20-13 (13-9 GLVC). The Flyers have won 20 or more games for three consecutive seasons. The last time Lewis did so was from 2000 to 2002. The Flyers host Northern Kentucky on Saturday and Sunday at Brennan Field. Sunday will be Senior Day for the Flyers.