In their opening doubleheader of the season, the Cyclones split with Sauk Valley Community College on an abnormally warm February afternoon.

 

In their first seven-inning battle, the Cyclones lost a late lead for the 4-3 loss. Although the Skyhawks scored first, the Cyclones edged ahead in the fourth inning after Aiden Radtke doubled to centerfield and Michael Swatkowski was hit by a pitch, each scoring. It was the bottom of the fifth when the Skyhawks had a string of hits to get ahead. 

 

Andrew Phelan went 2-for-3 while Anthony Gura was 2-for-4 at the plate with a double.

 

The Cyclones eked the second game in before it got too dark, and thank goodness they did. Gura (2-for-5, 4 RBIs) had a big game at the plate, driving in four runs on two hits, including a three-run homerun in the sixth inning, to lead the way to the 9-7 victory. 

 

A sac fly from Valente Melero in the first inning put the Cyclones on the board first. The Skyhawks countered in their first at-bat with a run-scoring double to knot the score. They went ahead by two in the bottom of the third and held it there the next few innings. It wasn't until the sixth inning when the Cyclones got things started, thanks to Gura's big three-run bomb to take a 7-3 lead. However, the Skyhawks tied the game in the next inning in part to some Cyclone errors.

 

The game went into extra innings, and it was in the top of the 10th where Jared Velez singled to centerfield and Gura tripled down the leftfield line to take the two-run lead and ultimate victory. 

 

Reliever Will Swierczynski earned the win on the bump, allowing two hits and no runs over one and two-thirds innings while striking out three. Lucas Hicks started for the Cyclones, surrendering three hits and three runs over three innings.

 

Phelan went 2-for-4 this game with a double and two stolen bases. John Maude went 2-for-3 at the plate with a triple and two stolen bases. Preston Lund was 1-for-5 with a two-run homerun in the sixth inning.