ROCHELLE — A four-run rally in the bottom of the sixth inning was the highlight of the Rochelle Hub varsity baseball team’s Interstate 8 Conference series finale against Ottawa on Friday.

Senior Brock Metzger homered and recorded three RBIs for the Hubs, who fell to the Pirates 18-5 and conceded a conference sweep with the loss. Rochelle (5-18, 0-14 Interstate 8) will travel for a nonconference doubleheader against Dixon on Saturday before closing out its regular season with a nonconference road game against DeKalb on Wednesday evening.

Ottawa took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning, where Adam Swanson and Garrett Shymanski each belted RBI doubles and Jack Henson sent a two-run homer over the left-field fence. Rochelle tallied one run in the bottom of the first inning, scoring after sophomore Brode Metzger reached on a dropped third strike and crossed home plate on an Ottawa error.

Harry Carretto reached on a hit-by-pitch before scoring on an error to put the Pirates ahead 5-1 in the top of the second inning. Ottawa extended its lead with five runs on four hits in the top of the third inning, where Jace Veith slapped an RBI single and Swanson added a two-run single. Swanson’s hot day at the dish continued in the top of the fourth inning, where he crushed a grand slam over the right-field fence to cap off a seven-RBI performance. Cam Loomis added a solo homer in the five-run fourth frame for the Pirates, who took an 18-1 lead over the Hubs after tallying three runs on three singles and a sacrifice fly in the top of the sixth inning. 

Metzger’s three-run homer capped off a four-run sixth inning for the Hubs, who plated their second run of the game after junior Ryan Senne walked and scored on an Ottawa error.