FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) baseball team picked up a pair of wins against Indiana Wesleyan University in a four-game Crossroads League series on Friday, March 14, and Monday, March 17. 

The Cougars beat the Wildcats 19-3 in seven innings in game one on Friday night. Indiana Wesleyan won game two to split the day and tie the series 1-1. Saint Francis earned a walk-off 8-7 win in the first game on Monday's doubleheader before IWU won game two 11-6. 

SAINT FRANCIS 19, INDIANA WESLEYAN  3 (7 INNINGS) 

• Kasen Oribello stepped up to the plate and hit a three-run home run to put USF on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. 
• A sacrifice fly to center field from Oribello drove in another run to extend Saint Francis's lead to 4-0 in the second inning. 
• In the top of the third inning, IWU used a single and a sac fly to bring in two runs and cut the Cougars' lead to 4-2. 
• Saint Francis responded with a double to center field from Brenden Lytle to score two runs and make the score 6-2 in favor of the Cougars. 
• USF used two errors, a hit by pitch, three walks and a three-run double from Sam Pesa to plate nine more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to extend their lead to 15-2.
• Jayden Lepper drove in three runs after hitting a double to center field, followed by an RBI from Xavier Nolan to put USF on top 19-2 in the fifth inning. 
• Indiana Wesleyan scored their third run of the afternoon in the top of the sixth inning, but USF kept IWU from scoring again as the Cougars cut the game one short with a 19-3 win in seven innings.
• The Cougars had seven hits and 15 walks against the Wildcats in game one. Lepper and Oribello both went a perfect 2-2 at the plate. Oribello led with five RBI, a home run, a sac fly, and two walks. Lepper added four RBI, two doubles and three walks. SP and BL also had three RBI and each hit an extra-base hit.
• Lukas North earned the win on the mound after striking out six batters and holding IWU to three hits in seven complete innings pitched. 

INDIANA WESLEYAN 16, SAINT FRANCIS 8 (7 INNINGS) 

• IWU opened Friday's second game with two homers in the top of the first inning to take a 6-0 lead. 
• Saint Francis brought in a run in the bottom of the first, but a two-run home run in the top of the second inning extended IWU's lead to 8-1. 
• A double to left field from Lytle brought in two more runs for the Cougars, cutting the Wildcats' lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the second. 
• Indiana Wesleyan drove in six more runs in the third, fourth and sixth innings to extend their lead to 16-3. 
• The Cougars tried to rally, scoring five runs in the bottom of the sixth. A homer to left field from Lytle and two RBI singles from Callan Stauffer and Lepper highlighted the inning for USF. 
• However, Indiana Wesleyan held the Cougars' rally short to win game two by a final score of 16-8.
• As a team, Saint Francis scattered seven hits in game two. Lytle hit 2-2 with a home run, a double and five RBI. Lepper and Stauffer also drove in a run apiece. 
• Gage Smith struck out six batters and scattered six hits in three innings of work as the Cougars' game-two starting pitcher. 

SAINT FRANCIS 8, INDIANA WESLEYAN 7

• After two scoreless innings, the Wildcats were first to score, taking a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
• After IWU brought in two more runs in the fourth inning, Stauffer hit a single that would score two runs and cut the Wildcats' lead to three runs. 
• Indiana Wesleyan hit a home run in the top of the fifth to bring the score to 6-2 in favor of the Wildcats. 
• The Cougars answered, tying the score up 6-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Ayden Lichtensteiger hitting a two-run homer to plate the tying run. 
• Indiana Wesleyan scored again in the top of the eighth to retake a one-run lead. 
• Eli Riley hit a sac fly to left field to score AJ Patton and tie the game up at 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth inning. 
• With one out in the bottom of the ninth, Lichtensteiger hit a hard ground ball to shortstop to score Lepper and give the Cougars the walk-off win in game one. 
• USF had nine hits, with Lichtensteiger going 3-4 at the plate with the walk-off single, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Stauffer was 2-4 at the plate with two RBI. Aaron Miranda and Oribello both had extra-base hits. 
• Blaine McRae got the start on the mound for Saint Francis, striking out nine batters and giving up five hits in six innings pitched. 
• Cameron Niedens got the win after holding IWU scoreless in 1.1 innings of relief. 

INDIANA WESLEYAN 11, SAINT FRANCIS 6

• After the Wildcats hit a homer in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead, Stauffer tripled to center field to score Sam Pesa and tie the game up 1-1. 
• The Wildcats retook the one-run lead in the top of the third, but Stauffer drove in another run to tie the game up at 2-2 in the fourth inning. Aaron Miranda and Xavier Nolan both hit RBI singles in the bottom of the fourth to give Saint Francis the 4-2 lead. 
• IWU plated four runs in the top of the sixth inning to retake the lead, with the score at 6-4. 
• Stauffer led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a homer to left center to bring the Cougars within one run. 
• The Wildcats took an 11-5 lead after the top of the seventh inning. 
• Riley hit a home run to left field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 11-6. The Cougars' rally would fall short as IWU won game two to tie the series 2-2. 
• Saint Francis had eight hits in game two on Monday afternoon. Stauffer was 3-4 at the plate with a home run, a triple and three RBI. Riley also had a home run, while Nolan and Miranda both drove in a run. 
• Perry Stow started on the mound, striking out a batter and giving up three hits in three innings pitched. 
• Niedens took the loss after giving up two runs in an inning of relief. 

Up next, the Cougar baseball team (10-13, 8-4) will travel to Winona Lake, Indiana for a four-game series on March 21-22. 

Cougar fans can stay updated on all events and recaps with USF Athletics by visiting saintfranciscougars.com.