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Box Score 2 JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College baseball team opened their 2024 season by hosting the 2024 IC Baseball Invitational with a double-header against Loras College and Wisconsin Lutheran College Saturday at Joe Brooks Field. The Blueboys completed the opening day sweep by coming back from a three-run deficit against Loras to win 8-5 which was followed by a 8-6 victory over the Warriors.
Game 1: Illinois College 8, Loras College 5
Right-handed pitcher
Branson Shaw got the opening day start on the mound for the Blueboys against Loras. Shaw worked out off a one-run first inning by generating a fly out to
Louie Bartletti in center.
In the top of the third inning, the Duhawks struck first on the scoreboard with three runs in the inning. After a scoreless inning from Shaw in the fourth, the Blueboys sent up the heart of the order in the fourth.
The Blueboys cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth that started on back-to-back drawn by
Adam Passmore and Bartletti. Two batters later,
Tyler Barker drew a walk that loaded the bases which promoted a Loras pitching change. The Jacksonville native in
Nolan Decker gave IC their first run of the season with a sacrifice fly that scored Passmore. The Seond-Team All-MWC catcher from last season in
Logan Schweigert followed up with a single up the middle that scored Bartletti.
Shaw went out for the fifth inning and delivered another scoreless frame on just seven pitches. In the bottom half,
Ryne Mapes reached base on a walk when Passmore followed with a triple down the right field line that scored Mapes. Immediately following the triple by Passmore, Bartelli singled to center that scored Passmore which tied that game at four apiece.
In the sixth, Shaw returned to the mound and recorded back-to-back strikeouts and a flyout which ended his opening day outing. In the bottom half, IC took the 6-4 lead on a two-run single to left from
Connor Hennemann that scored Schweigert and Decker.
Sam Hulvey followed laying down a sacrifice bunt but reaching base on a error by Loras's pitcher in Shivers that advanced both Hennemann and Hulvey an extra 90 feet. With runners in scoring position and one out, Mapes grounded out to first that scored Henneman that made the score 7-4. Passmore doubled the IC lead to 8-4 with a sacrifice fly to right that scored Hulvey.
The first call to the bullpen of the 2024 season was awarded to right-handed pitcher in
Aiden Lougeay as he recorded the first two outs of the inning with a groundout and flyout. With two outs, Loras' Trevor Segraves reached base on a infield single that scored a run. Lougeay got out the inning with a ground out to Passmore at second base.
In the eighth, IC called upon right-hand reliever
Ben Jarboe as he recorded the final six outs of the game.
For the game, Passmore led IC with two hits while tying Hennemann with a team-high two runs batted in. Shaw pitched six innings on the mound and struck out seven batters for the win.
Game 2: Illinois College 8, Wisconsin Lutheran 6
Andrew Wieneke got the started for IC on the mound in game two as he recorded two strikeouts in the first inning. Mapes opened game two by reaching base on a error where he advanced to second on the play. Two pitches later, Mapes recorded his third stolen base of the day by swiping third as he scored on a groundout to the shortstop off the bat of Passmore for the early 1-0 lead.
In the second, Wieneke got in a jam by allowing three walks and two hit-by-pitches that resulted in two Wisconsin Lutheran runs. In the bottom half,
Jon Tate led off the inning with a walk as he advanced to second on a single to left field from Hennemann as both runners advanced 90 feet on the fielder error. With one out, Hulvey reached base on an error that scored Henneman which tied the game a two apiece.
Following the error, Passmore singled to center that scored Hulvey that gave IC the 3-2 lead. Immediately following the single by Hulvey, Bartletti ripped a two-run triple down the right field line that scored Mapes and Passmore for the 5-2 lead. Decker added the final run of the inning with a single to left that scored Bartletti. IC scored four runs on three hits in the inning.
Wieneke returned to the mound and delivered back-to-back scoreless inning in the third and fourth innings. In the fifth, Wieneke found trouble after allowing two singles. The Warriors cut the deficit in half at 6-3 on a fielding error by Bartletti in center. WLC's Nolan Hodgins tied the game at six apiece with a three-run home run to center.
In the bottom of the fifth, Mapes drew a two-out walk when he came all the way around to score on a double to right from Passmore that gave IC the 7-6 lead.
In the sixth and seventh innings, IC called upon right-hand reliever
Jacob Smith as he pitched two scoreless innings.
In the eighth, IC called upon first-year pitcher
Charlie Lardi as he recorded three straight groundouts that retire the side. In the bottom half, Decker got the inning going with a single to center.
Brandon Smith entered the game as a pinch runner for Decker at first. IC added an insurance run on a Barker infield single that scored B. Smith for the final IC run the game. Lardi went back to mound in the ninth inning and recorded the final three outs of the game.
For the game, IC was led in hits by Decker with three while Passmore led with three runs batter in. On the mound, Wieneke pitched five innings and struck out seven. Relievers J. Smith and Lardi each struck out one batter.
The Blueboys will conclude action at the invitational hosting St. Norbert College on Sunday, February 25 at 11:00 AM.
