Rochelle concludes Interstate 8 play with 4-10 conference record

OTTAWA — The Rochelle Hub varsity baseball team halved its Interstate 8 Conference doubleheader against Ottawa on Tuesday. Rochelle took the opening game 6-5 before falling 8-4 in the second game to conclude the conference schedule. The Hubs (9-16, 4-10 Interstate 8) will host a doubleheader with Dixon and celebrate Senior Day on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Game 1

Ryan Chamberlain’s one-out triple led to an RBI groundout from Payton Knoll that gave Ottawa a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Rochelle tied the score in the bottom of the first inning, where senior Colton O’Rorke slapped a lead-off single before advancing two bases on wild pitches and crossing home plate on senior Noah Lara’s RBI groundout to the shortstop.

The Pirates held a 3-1 advantage after Jack Henson’s RBI single in the top of the second inning and Huston Hart’s RBI single in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Aidan Rodriguez delivered for the Hubs in the bottom of the fifth inning, belting an RBI single before scoring on a wild pitch to even the score at 3-3. The seesaw battle continued into the top of the sixth inning, where a sacrifice fly from Adam Swanson and another RBI single from Henson put Ottawa up 5-3.

Rochelle rallied for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a one-run lead into the seventh frame, where junior Brock Metzger relieved senior Bradley Cooney and recorded the final out to earn the save. Rodriguez drew a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, making the score 5-4 before O’Rorke came through with a clutch two-run single up the middle. Cooney started on the mound for the Hubs, throwing six and two-thirds innings with four strikeouts. Metzger induced a flyout to center field for the final out of the game.

Game 2

Senior Alex Burnette reached on an error to score Noah Lara and give the Hubs a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Ottawa answered with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, where Adam Swanson’s fielder’s choice grounder tied the score and Jack Henson’s two-run single put the Pirates ahead 3-1. Ottawa tallied one run in the bottom of the second inning and two runs in the bottom of the third inning to hold a 6-1 advantage over the Hubs.

Bradley Cooney cut into the Pirate lead with a two-run double for Rochelle in the top of the fifth inning, where Cooney eventually scored on an error to bring Ottawa within two runs. An RBI single from Garrett Cupples capped off a two-run frame for the Pirates in the bottom of the fifth inning to seal the win. Senior Garrett Gensler singled three times to lead the Rochelle offense, while Lara drew three walks and scored two runs.