LOVES PARK, IL - The Rockford College baseball team was in need of some good fortune on Sunday as they faced D3Baseball.com's #5 team in the nation, the Carthage College Red Men. The Regents had dropped five of their last six, including a difficult sweep at the hands of Benedictine University on Saturday and Sunday morning's loss to the University of Chicago. As the Regents celebrated the careers of their seniors, the team looked to end the 2008 regular season on a high note and gain confidence before the Northern Athletics Conference tournament. No one could have imaged what would take place over the next two hours.

What happened was the Regents took full advantage of sophomore Kevin Patterson's (Manhattan, IL/ Lincolnway Central) performance on the mound and every one of the Red men's mistakes to the tune of a 19-3 victory and the Regents highest scoring game of the season. The Red Men jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the Regents responded early and often. Rockford plated three runs on three hits and two walks in the bottoom half of the frame. The Regents continued their offense in the second with six more runs, aided by five walks and two Red Men throwing errors. By the end of the third inning , the Regents were in complete control, leading 13-2.

Patterson was solid in picking up his second win of the season, a seven inning complete game. Patterson allowed three runs on seven hits, while striking out seven Carthage batters. Senior Nate Henke (South Beloit/ Rock Valley) led Rockford with three hits, including a fourth inning two-run home run. Fellow senior Brandon Smith (Crystal Lake, IL/ Central) kocked in six runs for Rockford.

The Regents (24-16, 17-5 NAC) are off until Friday, May 9, when they open the NAC baseball tournament with a 12:30 p.m. tilt with Marian College, whom the Regents swept Marian in late April, at Road Ranger Stadium.