ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Illinois College baseball team continued non-conference schedule with a visit to Fontbonne University Thursday afternoon. The Blueboys extend their win streak to four games by defeating the Griffins by the final score of 10-8 at Shaw Park. With this victory, IC improves to 4-0 overall on the season.
IC's
Jacob Smith got the start on the mound for the Blueboys as he got in a early jam with Fontbonne runners on the corners. With two outs, Smith allowed the first Griffin run on a passed ball that gave Fontbonne the early 1-0 lead.
In the top of the second,
Connor Hennemann got the inning started with a one-out walk.
Jon Tate followed up with a double to center that advanced Hennemann to third. With runners in scoring position, the reigning Second-Team All MWC catcher
Logan Schweigert singled to left that scored Hennemann that tied the game at one piece. After a stolen base by Schweigert,
Ryan Huskey drove in Tate on a groundout to second that gave IC the 2-1 lead. The final IC run of the inning came off an infield single by
Ryne Mapes that scored Schweigert for the 3-1 advantage.
In the bottom of the second, Fontbonne responded with a five-run inning that included a grand slam by Blake Van Beers that gave the Griffins the 7-3 lead. After the blast, IC made its first pitching change of the game to Logan Lougeay as he got out of the inning without any further damage.
In the top of the fourth inning,
Adam Passmore cut the deficit to one at 6-7 on a three-rbi single to center that scored
Ryan Huskey, Mapes, and Schweigert. Lougeay kept the Blueboys at the one-run deficit by delievered a scoreless inning.
In the top of the fifth,
Tyler Barker started the inning off with a single to center. Tate shortly followed with a single when Huskey gave the Blueboys the 8-7 lead with a two-rbi triple to left that scored Barker and Tate. The Griffins loaded the bases after Lougeay issued two walks that promoted a IC pitching change to
Ben Jarboe. Fontbonne tied the game at eight apiece on a error by Schweigert. Jarboe got out of the inning without allowing any additional runs. Jarboe continued to look sharp out of relief as he shutout the Griffins lineup with for two additional innings to the seventh.
In the top of the eighth and one out, Passmore and
Louie Bartletti both reached base with back-to-back singles to right. With two outs and runners on the corners,
Nolan Decker broke for second when Fontbonne's catcher Eric Creech threw the ball to short center that allowed Passmore to score for the 9-8 lead. After a walk drawn by Barker, Hennemann added the final IC run of the game with an rbi single to right that scored Decker.
In the bottom of the eighth, IC called upon first-year pitcher
Charlie Lardi as he recorded the final six outs for the Blueboys. In those final six outs, Lardi recorded three strikeouts and no walks.
For the game, six different Blueboys recorded at least two hits while Passmore and Huskey led with three runs batted in each. On the mound, IC used four pitchers where
Ben Jarboe was credited with the win.
The Blueboys will travel to the Sunshine State to participate in the Russ Matt Central Florida Invitational starting Sunday, March 3 with a double-header against Saint Mary's University of Minnesota in Davenport, Florida.
