Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College baseball team concluded action at the 2024 IC Baseball Invitational hosting ex-conference opponent in St. Nortbert College Sunday at Joe Brooks Field. The Blueboys hit a total of five home runs that propelled to a high-scoring 16-13 victory over the Green Knights. With the victory, IC starts the season with a 3-0 overall record which matches the best start in program history set back in 2015.
Left-handed pitcher
Jack McGuire got the start on the mound for the Blueboys in the invitational finale and got in a jam right away after a lead-off single. After two quick groundouts, SNC's Matt Perry hit a two-run home run that gave St. Norbert the early 2-0 lead. After the first inning, McGuire delivered two scoreless innings in the second and third.
In the bottom of the third, the Blueboys erupted for a six-run inning that started on a lead-off single by
Connor Hennemann. Following the single,
Logan Schweigert reached base on a error by SNC's right field as he over ran the ball that advanced Hennemann in scoring position at second.
Ryne Mapes got IC on the board with a one-out single to left that scored Hennemann as Schweigert advanced to third. With runners on the corners and one out,
Adam Passmore gave IC the 4-2 lead with a three-run home run over the wall in center.
The bats remained hot in the inning as the designated hitter in
Louie Bartletti ripped a deep line drive off the base of the wall in center for double. Following the double, the Jacksonville native
Nolan Decker blasted a deep two-run home run to left that gave IC the 6-2 lead.
McGuire took the mound with the lead in the fourth and retired the first two batters right away. McGuire got in a jam after a double and hit-by-pitch that lead to a two-run double by SNC's AJ Kisting that made the score 6-4. McGuire responded with a scoreless fifth that kept the score at 6-4.
In the top of the sixth, St. Norbert countered with a four-run inning as the first run of that crossed ended McGuire's outing. The Blueboys called upon first-year reliever
Jake Holder as he struck out the first batter he faced. With one out, SNC's Matt Schuch hit a two-run that was followed by a solo home run by Devin Geary that gave SNC the 8-6 lead. Following the home runs, IC called upon right-hand reliever
Dylan Eaton out of the pen as he got out of the inning without any further damage.
In the bottom half of the sixth, the IC bats erupted for a seven-run inning as six runs crossed with two outs. The eruption started on a solo blast to center of the bat of Henneman that cut the deficit down to one at 7-8. Following the blast, Schweigert legged out an infield single as he advanced to second on a walk drawn by Mapes. Passmore tied the game at eight apiece with an rbi single to right that scored Schweigert. Two pitches later, Bartletti gave IC the 9-8 lead with double to right that scored Mapes.
Following the double by Bartletti, Decker hit a hard ground ball at the SNC's shortshop when the ball tricked to short left that allowed Passmore and Bartletti to score on the play that gave IC the 11-8 lead. The seven-run inning was capped off on a two-run home run off the bat of first-year
Tyler Barker that scored Decker for the 13-8 lead.
In the seventh, IC called upon first-year reliever in
Connor Akstulewicz out of the bullpen. After allowing a lead-off walk, Akstulewicz recorded two groundouts and a flyout for a scoreless inning. IC added a run in the bottom of the frame on a two-out solo blast from
Ryan Huskey that made the score 14-8.
In the eighth inning, Akstulewicz got in a bases-loaded jam and allowed a Green Knight run after hitting Zach Bostrand with the pitch that made the score 14-9 which promoted an IC pitching change to
Tory Wickman. Wickman recorded the first two outs of the inning as a SNC player crossed out the plate on both outs; a fielder's choice groundout and a sacrifice fly that made the score 14-11. With two outs, SNC's Schuch added a run with a single to right that made the score 14-12 that promoted a IC pitching change to
Ben Jarboe. Jarboe threw just two pitches and recorded the final out of the inning.
In the bottom half of the inning, Passmore and Bartletti both reached base with walks. Four pitches later, Passmore and Bartletti attempt a double-steal when the SNC catcher threw the ball into left field that allowed Passmore to score. In the same at-bat, Barker recorded his third runs batted in of the day when he scored Bartletti for the final IC run of the game.
In the ninth, Jarboe got in a bases-loaded jam that ended his outing as first-year pitcher
Charlie Lardi took over on the mound. The left-handed reliever came in and recorded the final two outs of the game for his second save of the season.
For the game, IC was led in hits and runs batted in Passmore with three hits and drove in a team-high four runs. On the mound, IC used seven different pitchers as Eaton was credited with the win.
The Blueboys will travel to Fontbonne University on Wednesday, February 28 to face the Griffins at 2:00 PM in St. Louis, Missouri.
