HARVARD — Sophomore Dylan Manning went 3 for 3 with one double and was one of four Rochelle Hub baseball players to finish with two RBIs on Thursday evening, when the team traveled north for its nonconference varsity regular season finale against the Harvard Hornets.

Rochelle recorded 13 hits and scored five runs in two different innings, closing out the regular season with a 13-0 victory over the Hornets. Juniors Van Gerber and Brode Metzger each had two hits and two RBIs for the Hubs (10-19, 0-15 Interstate 8), who will host Belvidere for the IHSA 3A Regional Quarterfinals at RTHS on Monday at 4:30 p.m. The winner will advance to face No. 1 seed Burlington Central in the semifinals at Burlington Central on Wednesday.

Senior Brandyn Metzger earned the win on the pitcher’s mound, firing four innings and striking out four batters while holding Harvard (5-23, 1-13 Kishwaukee River) to two hits. Sophomore Andrew Huerta threw one inning of shutout relief and added one strikeout to preserve the Rochelle victory. Senior Ethan Goodwin went 2 for 2 with two RBIs for the Hubs, who took a 2-0 lead after RBI singles from Goodwin and Brode Metzger during the top of the first inning. 

Rochelle broke the game open in the top of the second inning, tallying five runs on five hits including an RBI single from senior Carson Lewis. Goodwin belted an RBI triple and Brode Metzger followed with an RBI double for the Hubs, who surged ahead 8-0 after junior Seth Ramos reached on a fielder’s choice to plate sophomore Johnny Andrist in the third inning.

The Hubs loaded the bases with one out in the top of the fourth inning, where Manning smacked a two-run double to right field and Gerber sent a two-run single up the middle in the next at-bat for four of the team’s five runs in the frame. Harvard put two runners on base in the bottom of the fifth inning, but a fielder’s choice grounder and a groundout to first base ended the game.