After a comeback attempt fell just short in game one against Waubonsee Community College, the Harper College baseball team salvaged a series split with a 5-3 game two victory over the Chiefs.
In the first contest, Waubonsee (26-21) scored four runs in the first inning off Harper starter Dave Rzewnicki (Antioch, Ill./Antioch) (1-3). Rzewnicki surrendered five runs over three innings. The Hawks (20-10) tallied three runs in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run triple off the bat of Theo Yfantis (Prospect Heights, Ill./Wheeling) followed by a James Ioriatti (/Hersey) sacrifice fly.
The visitors scored in the top of the seventh inning to make it 6-4. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Harper loaded the bases with two outs, bringing up Ioriatti. Ioriatti drew a walk to cut the deficit to 6-5, but catcher Zach Jones (/Maine South) flew out to right field to end the ballgame.
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The Hawks rallied from a 3-1 deficit in game two to beat the Chiefs and earn a series split. Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Yfantis singled home Kurt Becker (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) to knot the game at 3-3. Ioriatti followed with a single, and Andrew Haney (Milton, Wis. /Milton)'s two-run single gave Harper a 5-3 lead.
Dan Schlitter (Bartlett, Ill./Bartlett) shut down the opposing lineup in the top of the seventh to seal the win. Schlitter (2-1) yielded just two hits and struck out two over three scoreless innings in relief.
