ROCHELLE — Four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning weren’t enough for the Rochelle Hub baseball team to avoid an Interstate 8 Conference series sweep against Kaneland on Thursday.

Trailing 13-2 and needing two runs to avoid the run rule, Rochelle smacked three straight hits to open the bottom of the fifth inning, where a bases-loaded walk and a pair of errors enabled the Hubs to score four and extend the game. Kaneland slammed the door in the top of the sixth inning, however, exploding for 11 runs on seven hits and five walks to coast over Rochelle 24-7. It was the most runs allowed by the Hubs (5-8, 0-6 Interstate 8) in a single game this season.

Kaneland (12-4, 4-1 Interstate 8) immediately took control of the series finale on Thursday, plating six runs on four hits and two walks in the top of the first inning. Brady Alstott did most of the damage, bashing a three-run homer over the left-field wall to give the Knights a 4-0 lead. Carter Grabowski capped off the frame with a two-run double to score Thomas Thill and Dylan Borysiewicz, who each singled. Kanon Baxley scored on a wild pitch to start the six-run surge.

After a scoreless first two frames, Rochelle broke through in the bottom of the third inning, where junior Brode Metzger and sophomore Brody Bruns delivered RBI singles to complete a two-run frame that made the score 6-2. Kaneland quickly responded, however, tallying four runs on four hits and a pair of walks in the top of the fourth inning. Antonio Villanueva laced an RBI double before Borysiewicz pounded a two-run double into the left-field corner three batters later.

Kaneland carried a 10-2 lead into the top of the fifth inning, where the Knights tallied three more runs to put the Hubs in jeopardy of falling by run rule. Kaneland capitalized on errant pitching from Rochelle, drawing two walks and one hit-by-pitch in the frame to take an 11-run lead.

Needing two runs, the Hubs loaded the bases on three consecutive singles from senior Carson Lewis, Metzger and senior Ethan Goodwin in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rochelle found its two runs after senior Brandyn Metzger drew a walk and sophomore Andrew Huerta reached on a fielding error at first base. Sophomores Johnny Andrist and Dylan Manning accounted for two more runs, with Andrist hitting a sac fly and Manning reaching on another Kaneland error.

Rochelle trailed 13-6 entering the top of the sixth inning, where the Knights batted around and compiled 11 runs to put the game well out of reach. An RBI groundout from Goodwin in the bottom of the sixth inning brought one run home for the Hubs, who will head west for their nonconference doubleheader against Sterling on Friday evening. Lewis and Brode Metzger each went 2 for 2 and combined to score three runs to lead the Rochelle offense in the loss.