JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College baseball team returned to Joe Brooks Field for a non-conference double-header against Westminster College of Missouri Wednesday afternoon. The Blueboys hit a total of five home runs in game one that propelled to a 14-9 victory while
Jon Tate blasted his first career multi-home run game of his IC career in game two that lead to a 6-2 victory. With both victories, the Blueboys extends their win streak to six games and are currently 10-2 overall record on the season.
Game 1: Illinois College 14, Westminster 9
Andrew Wieneke earned his third start of the season by taking the mound in game one. In the first, Westminster loaded the bases after two singles and a hit-by-pitch. However, Wieneke got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 double-play started by
Connor Hennemann. In the second, both starting pitchers delivered scoreless inning as Wieneke captured two strikeouts.
In the third, the Blue Jays struck first on the scoreboard with a single run on back-to-back hits from Tory Romero and Payton Whitehead. Wieneke got out of the inning with a 6-4-3 combination. In the bottom half,
Ryne Mapes got the inning started on a infield single and advanced to second on the throwing error by the WC's third baseman.
Adam Passmore followed up with a infield single off the WC's pitchers glove that advanced Mapes to third. After a stolen base by Passmore,
Louie Bartletti reached base on an error by the WC's shortstop that allowed Mapes to score that tied the game a one apiece. After Bartletti stole second,
Nolan Decker drove in Passmore with a sacrifice flyout to left that gave IC the 2-1 advantage.
In the top of the fourth, Westminster got the bases loaded after two singles and a walk when Romero gave the Blue Jays the 3-2 lead on a two-run single to center. Wieneke got out of the inning with a groundout to Hennemann at short.
In the sixth, the Blue Jays loaded the bases with three consecutive hits as two came on bunted infield singles that ended Wieneke's outing. IC made its first pitching change of the game and called upon first-year
Anthony Buonaura. Four pitches in, WC's Romero singled to right field that increased the deficit to 5-2. Immediately following the single, the Blue Jays added two additional runs that made the score 7-2 on back-to-back sacrifice flyouts. WC's Keli'i Price capped off the five-run inning with a solo home run for the 8-2 score.
In the bottom half of the sixth, Hennemann got the inning started by reaching base on a walk.
Tyler Barker and Tate kept the momentum going with back-to-back singles that loaded the bases and promoted a WC pitching change to Kaleb Hinkle-Pruett. Immediately following the pitching change,
Logan Schweigert ripped a single to right that scored Hennemann cut the deficit to 8-3. Three pitches later,
Ryan Huskey cut the deficit in half at 8-4 by driving in Barker.
In the seventh, the Blueboys pitching staff called upon senior pitcher
Dylan Eaton as he took over on the mound. Eaton got in a jam after issuing back-to-back walks but got out of the inning without allowing any runs with a line out and a flyout.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Blueboys erupted for a NINE-run inning that started on back-to-back hits by Passmore and Bartletti. The Jacksonville native in Decker followed up with three-run home run blast over the left center field wall that cut the deficit down to one a 7-8. Four pitches later, Hennemann launched a no-doubter home run over the left field wall that tied the game at eight apiece. Barker kept the inning going with a single to right center and later advanced to second on a passed ball. Two batters later, Schweigert gave IC the 9-8 lead with a rbi-single to center that scored Barker. With two outs, Mapes increased the IC lead to 11-8 with his first collegiate home run which was a two-run blast over the left field wall. Bartelli capped off the monstrous inning with a two-run moonshot over the right field wall that made the score 13-8.
In the eighth, Eaton got in a bases-loaded jam that ending his outing. IC made its third pitching change of the game and called up the Fredrick Community College transfer
Tyler Allen. The Blue Jays added a run on a walk issued by Allen that made the score 13-9. In the bottom half, Schweigert added the final IC run of the game with his first home run of the season on a deep ball over the left field wall that made the score 14-9. Allen closed out the game by recording two ground outs as the final play of the game was a 6-4-3 putout.
For the game, Mapes and Schweigert led IC with three hits each while Decker drove in a game-high four runs. On the mound, Wieneke pitched five innings and struck out the only four WC's batters of the game while Eaton was credited for the win.
Game 2: Illinois College 6, Westminster 2
First-year left-handed pitcher in
Charlie Lardi got the call to start game two on the mound. Lardi got in a bases-loaded jam in the first but got out of the inning without allowing a run by striking out Matt Lukins. In the bottom portion, Passmore got the inning started with a single to center when Bartletti followed up with a two-run deep blast over the right field wall that gave IC the early 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the second, Tate increased the IC lead to 3-0 with a solo home run over the left field wall.
In the top of the third, the Blue Jays added a run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch issued by Lardi that made the score 3-1. In the bottom of the fourth, Tate launched a no-doubter over the left field wall that increased the lead to 5-1. The second blast by Tate marks his first career multi-home run game of his collegiate career.
In the top of the fifth, IC called upon McKendree University transfer pitcher in
Chris Campau as he took over on the mound. Campau recorded a 10 pitch inning that included two line outs and flyout. In bottom portion, Barker got the inning started on a infield single to first base and advanced to second with a stolen base. The next pitch following the steal by Barker, Tate ripped a single to right that scored Barker for sixth and final IC run of the game.
In the sixth, Westminster's Lukins lead off the inning with a triple to right and later scored a on single to left by William Crabtree that made the final score 6-2.
Tory Wickman entered the game on the mound in the seventh inning and pitched two scoreless innings. In the ninth inning, IC called upon
Ben Jarboe as he recorded the final three outs of the game.
For the game, Passmore and Tate led IC with three hits each as Tate drove in a game-high four runs. On the mound, Lardi pitched four innings and struck out five batters while relievers Wickman and Jarboe combined to throw three shutout innings.
The Blueboys will return to Joe Brooks Field on March 16 hosting Concordia University of Wisconsin for a double-header starting at 12:00 PM (noon).
