SKOKIE — Offense has fueled the Rochelle varsity baseball team in recent games, and the bats remained hot during two nonconference victories over Niles West and Rockford Guilford on Saturday.

The Hubs dominated Guilford, scoring 13 runs in the third inning to cruise 23-3 over the Vikings in five innings. Rochelle’s five-run first inning allowed the Hubs to start strong against Niles West, winning 16-9 to improve the team’s record to 7-2 overall.

Guilford

Senior Noah Knight tossed five innings for Rochelle, striking out seven and allowing two earned runs on five hits. Knight walked and stole home in the bottom of the first inning to give Rochelle a 1-0 lead, and the Hubs added six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Hayden Jones singled and scored on senior Zach Bernardin’s RBI double, and Bernardin stole home soon after. Leading 3-0, senior Johnny Beck drove and RBI double to right to score Knight. Junior Gavin Ansteth walked before junior Ethan Etes clobbered a three-run homer to left-center to give the Hubs a 7-0 advantage.

Bernardin’s double to center ignited a 13-run rally in the bottom of the third inning. Three consecutive Hubs then walked before Ansteth and Etes slapped back-to-back run-scoring singles. Seniors Cody Johnson and Eddie Villalobos walked, and Jones reached on a hit-by-pitch before senior Louie Mancinas walked to continue the threat.

Knight and senior Brandon Johnson then notched back-to-back singles, and junior Austin Greifenkamp drew his second walk of the frame shortly after. Cody Johnson’s two-run double put Rochelle ahead 20-0. RBI singles from Ansteth, Etes and Johnson scored three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and gave the Hubs a 23-0 lead. Guilford plated three runs on one triple, two doubles and an error in the top of the fifth inning.

Etes finished 3-for-4 with five RBIs, while Ansteth and Cody Johnson each recorded three RBIs. All 11 players for Rochelle totaled at least one RBI in the victory.

Niles West

Johnny Beck started on the mound for the Hubs, throwing four and one-third innings and striking out eight batters while conceding three hits and three earned runs. Rochelle led 5-0 after the top of the first inning, with Beck smacking an RBI double to right and Gavin Ansteth smashing a two-run triple to center. Cody Johnson’s RBI infield single plated Ansteth, and Hayden Jones pulled an RBI double to right that plated Johnson.

Beck’s solo home run in the top of the second inning gave the Hubs a 6-0 lead, and Rochelle added three runs in the top of the third inning to pull ahead 9-0. Brandon Johnson hit a two-run double to right before scoring on a wild pitch to Ansteth. Cody Johnson tripled and scored on a stolen base in the top of the fourth inning.

Niles West bounced back with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it a 10-3 game before Zach Bernardin and Noah Knight each stole home for two Rochelle runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Hubs surrendered one run in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Up 12-4, Rochelle added four runs in the top of the sixth inning. Jones belted an RBI double to score Ethan Etes, and Bernardin’s RBI groundout plated Eddie Villalobos. Jones then scored on a wild pitch to Knight, and Knight walked before scoring on a passed ball to Ansteth. Niles West rallied for five runs on five walks, three singles and an error in the bottom of the sixth inning.