Redskins rally to take series opener over Rochelle 4-3

MORRIS — The Rochelle Hub varsity baseball team opened its home-and-home Interstate 8 Conference series against Morris on Wednesday. Behind a three-run fifth inning, Morris held off the Hubs for a 4-3 win. Rochelle (5-7, 4-5 Interstate 8) will host the Redskins on Friday.

Senior Nate Burdin threw all six innings for the Hubs, striking out six batters and holding Morris to four hits and three earned runs. Rochelle took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, where senior Owen Angell walked and scored on junior Colton O’Rorke’s RBI single. The Redskins evened the score with one run on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third inning.

Burdin singled and scored on an error to give the Hubs a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth inning. Burdin went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored in the game. Morris surged ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring three runs on one double, two singles and one error.

Rochelle nearly rallied in the top of the seventh inning, getting three singles from Burdin, senior Andy Buskohl and Angell to load the bases before junior Noah Lara drew a one-out walk to bring one run home. But the Redskins induced back-to-back flyouts to clinch the win.