Blueboys Walk Off with Wild Win to Wrap up Non-Conference Play

Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – In a game that had so many runs the scoreboard almost failed to keep up, the Illinois College baseball team used its home-field advantage to end the contest in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off base hit and error, finally closing the door on a resilient Blackburn College squad that refused to go away the entire afternoon. The Blueboys led by as many as six runs early in the game, then had to rally back for an 18-17 victory over the Beavers to close the non-conference portion of their schedule. IC enters its final four-game series of the season at 14-16 overall.

Blackburn struck first in the top of the first inning with a two-run home run off of Illinois College starter Dentler Loschen, but that was cancelled out by a two-run bomb from Tim Sommerfeld in the bottom of the second inning to bring the score level.

The Beavers took a 3-2 lead on a RBI groundout in the third inning before Grant Argyilan doubled in Austin Gusewelle to leave the score at 3-3 after three innings of play.

Following a scoreless fourth inning from Blackburn, the Blueboys put six runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth, seemingly taking control of the game. Joe Paparelli, Gusewelle, Bailey Reed and Sommerfeld all had RBIs in the inning.

Blackburn answered back with a four-run top of the fifth against Loschen, making it 9-7. Loschen did complete the inning however, and left the game in line for the victory if IC could have held on. His cause looked even better after Gusewelle and B. Reed again added RBIs in the bottom of the fifth to make it 11-7.

A two-run homer off of reliever Ethan Crain in the sixth inning made it an 11-9 ballgame, and Blackburn added another run in the top of the seventh on a play in which the Blueboys made two errors. That left it as a one-run contest going to the seventh-inning stretch. Argyilan drove in another run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 12-10 heading to the eighth.

The fun was just getting started however. Though Crain got through the eighth inning, he was tagged for four more runs before it was all over, leaving with a 14-12 deficit. Blackburn's bullpen was struggling just as much, giving the lead right back to Illinois College in the bottom of the eighth. Paparelli drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 14-13, then Gusewelle doubled to plate two more. After Brendan Stanfield doubled down the right-field line, the lead was back to 17-14.

Quinn Miller started the ninth inning for the Blueboys and managed to get two outs, however the Beavers scored two runs on a ground-rule double that left the score 17-16 in favor of IC. Needing just one more out, ace pitcher Dylan Jones got the rare call out of the bullpen. The Beavers came out hacking against the senior and were able to knot the score at 17-17 on a RBI double before Jones got out of the inning.

With Blackburn finally out of chances at the plate, all Illinois College needed was one run to bring the contest to a close. Sommerfeld started the inning off with a solid single into right field. The Blueboys then used perfect execution on a hit-and-run off the bat of Scott Kasting to get a single and move Sommerfeld to third. Sommerfeld, expecting a clean play in left field, slid into third, but the ball got under the glove of the left fielder and rolled away. The IC second baseman was able to regain his footing and stroll in from 90 feet away with the winning run.

Jones was credited with the win after leaving the game tied at 17-17 heading to the bottom of the ninth. The win was the 17th of the senior's career, giving him the all-time school record in the category, breaking the tie he had held with Gail Ring (1981-84).

This weekend, Illinois College will travel to Knox College for a pair of games on May 5 starting at 12 p.m. The regular season wraps up back at Joe Brooks Field on May 6 with two against the Prairie Fire. The Blueboys will celebrate Senior Day and send off Head Coach Jay Eckhouse in pre- and post-game ceremonies before and after the 12 p.m. start.