MAPLE PARK — The Rochelle Hub varsity baseball team teed off its Interstate 8 Conference series against Kaneland on Monday evening. Juniors Ethan Goodwin and Ryan Senne each recorded RBIs for the Hubs, who fell to the Knights 6-2 in the series opener. Rochelle (4-8, 0-4 Interstate 8) will resume the conference series with a home game on Wednesday evening.

Freshman Brody Bruns singled and scored on a Kaneland error to give the Hubs a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The Knights tied the game after Parker Violett doubled and scored on a Rochelle error in the bottom of the first inning. Senne pushed the Hubs ahead in the top of the second inning, slapping an RBI single to the left side of the infield to plate junior Carson Lewis.

Rochelle carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning, where Kaneland exploded for four runs on two doubles and two singles to surge ahead 5-2. The Knights added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, where Tom Thill smacked an RBI single into center field. Senior Brock Metzger started on the pitcher’s mound for the Hubs, throwing four and one-third innings while striking out five batters. Goodwin tossed one and two-thirds innings of relief.