Blueboys Begin MWC Play with Split against Cornell

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College baseball team opened up Midwest Conference action on Thursday afternoon, splitting a doubleheader with Cornell College. The Blueboys piled on late in the day's first game to score a 9-5 win over the Rams, but fell into a huge hole early in game two and could never make up the ground. Cornell came away with a 12-4 win to even the day and move to 10-10 (4-2 MWC). Illinois College now stands at 8-11 (1-1 MWC) on the year.

The Blueboys and Rams conclude their four-game set tomorrow back at Lenz Field. The first game of the day is set for 10 a.m. with another contest to follow at approximately 1 p.m.

Game One: Illinois College 9, Cornell 5
After a scoreless first two innings of play, Illinois College got things rolling in the bottom of the third. The Blueboys then lost the lead, allowing Cornell to come back to tie the game at 4-4 before scoring five runs in their final two turns at the plate to get the win.

IC didn't manage a hit off of Cornell starter Kevin Stahmer until Austin Peck's one-out single in the third inning. The next hitter, Nick Dalfonso, laced a line drive that bounced off the glove of center fielder Joe Gerace. The speedy Dalfonso was able to make it all the way around to third on the play while Peck scored to give the Blueboys a 1-0 lead. With Austin Dormire up to the plate, Stahmer uncorked a wild pitch that brought Dalfonso home to double the lead. After Dormire and Collin Dooley each reached base and moved into scoring position, Dalton Kerans brought them both home with a ground ball through the hole on the left side of the infield to give Illinois College a 4-0 lead after three innings.

The Blueboys would need all of that lead. Luke Pannbacker was solid on the hill but conditions favored batters throughout the day. Cornell finally made its move in the top of the fifth as Gerace tattooed a two-out double to left-center to bring in two runs, slicing the Illinois College lead in half at 4-2. In the sixth, the designated hitter for the Rams, Max Freilinger, lifted a ball down the right field line that just stayed in fair territory for a solo home run that made it 4-3. The comeback would be complete in the top of the seventh when Josh Dimmitt led off for the Rams with a solo shot to left, tying the game at 4-4.

To their credit, the Blueboys refused to give in. Facing reliever Andy Dodson to start the bottom of the seventh, Jonathan Schrage got things going for IC with a single back up the middle. A walk to Zac Schopp and a wild pitch moved the pair to second and third with one away. Jordan Boehs brought the go-ahead run in on a single belted into right field. Connor Melton then put the Blueboys back ahead by two runs with a fantastic sacrifice bunt to score Schopp, putting IC ahead, 6-4.

Cornell loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning and looked to mount one more comeback against Illinois College, but reliever Kevin Schuh and some great defense conspired to keep the Blueboys ahead. Coming in as a pinch hitter, Joben Barnes lofted a ball into shallow center field and Dalfonso was able to race in and make a sliding grab. Though the play resulted in a sacrifice fly that scored a run, the Blueboys were able to escape the inning with no further damage done.

Dormire, Dooley and Kerans all started the eighth inning with hits, the last a double by Kerans that scored two runs and moved him along to third after the throw from the outfield went all the way home. Up 8-5, the Blueboys tacked on one more insurance run when Schopp laid down a perfectly-placed bunt that resulted in a single and Kerans coming home to score.

In the ninth, a 1-4-6-3 double play ended any chance of another Cornell rally and gave Schuh his first career save. Pannbacker struck out six Rams in 6.2 innings of work.

The heart of the IC offense did its job, with the Nos. 2-5 hitters Dormire, Dooley, Kerans and Schrage each collecting a pair of hits in the contest.

Game 2: Cornell 12, Illinois College 4
The tone for the day's second game was set early on. With the wind ripping out to left field, Cornell took advantage with a total of five home runs in the back half of the twinbill.

With one on and one out in the top of the first, Beriah Quick hit a shot to left to give the Rams a 2-0 lead. Later that inning, lefty Walker Breard went the other way, pulling one down the right field line to make it 4-0 before the Blueboys had taken a crack at the plate.

IC was able to recover with one run in the bottom of the first. Dalfonso walked, took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a deep fly to center. With two down in the inning, Schrage hit a single down the right field line that just stayed in fair territory to score Dalfonso and make it 4-1.

The score stayed there until the third inning. The Rams already had one run in to make it a 5-1 game when Breard launched his second home run of the game out to right-center. The three-run shot gave Cornell an 8-1 lead. 

Again IC came back with a run in the bottom of the third thanks to Dalfonso. A lead-off walk was followed by a single and a wild pitch to get him to third and once again Schrage singled to score him, making it 8-2.

Quick led off the fourth with another solo home run for Cornell for his second homer of the game. Freilinger started the sixth inning with another solo blast to make it 10-2. Nate Streb singled later that inning to score two runs and increase Cornell's advantage to 12-2.

Illinois College got a pair of runs late in the game, but never pulled within striking distance of the Rams. Zack Hanlon walked in the seventh and reached third on a Brendan Stanfield single. A wild pitch then plated Hanlon to extend the game. In the eighth, Kyle Obertino beat out an infield single and later scored on a RBI single from Josh Krumwiede for IC's fourth run of the game.

Dylan Sunderland took the loss for the Blueboys, falling to 2-1 on the year in defeat. Jake Horve and Ethan Crain each worked three innings of relief.