AUBURNDALE, Flor. - The Illinois College baseball team played its fourth game in Florida with a decision against Northland College Tuesday morning at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex. The Blueboys dominated the Jacks of Northland College by the final of 15-3 in seven innings. With the victory, IC improves to 6-2 overall and 2-2 while in Florida.
The Blueboys were the visitors on the scoreboard for this decision and opened the game with a six-run first inning.
Ryne Mapes lead off the game with a single to right and immediately stole second. After a walk drawn by
Adam Passmore,
Louie Bartletti ripped a two-run rbi the gap in right center that scored Mapes and Passmore for the early 2-0 lead. Next batter in
Nolan Decker drew a walk when
Tyler Barker extended the lead to 3-0 with a sacrifice fly that scored Bartletti.
The inning continued with Hennemann reaching base on an error when he later scored on an rbi single to left from
Jon Tate that made the score 4-0. With the bases loaded and one out, first-year catcher
Jackson Fricke drew a walk that scored Hennemann. Moments later and IC runners on the corners, Northland's pitcher was called for a balk that scored Tate for the 6-0 lead.
Aiden Lougeay got the start on the mound for IC and opened the game striking out all three Northland batters he faced. In the second, Lougeay got in a jam with Northland runners in scoring position. The Jacks added two runs in the inning that came off a double from Caden Willis that made the score 6-2.
In the top of the third, IC got one of those back on a bases loaded walk drawn by Bartletti that scored Mapes that made the score 7-2.
In the fourth, the Blueboys busted open the game and extended the lead to double-digits with a five-run inning. The inning started on a single to right from Hennemann as
Ryan Huskey and Fricke followed with back-to-back walks that loaded the bases. With one out, Mapes singled to third that allowed Hennemann to score on the play. Passmore followed up by reaching base on an error by the Northland second baseman that allowed Huskey and Fricke to score on the play that took the 10-2 lead. With IC runners on the corners, Northland was called for another balk that scored Mapes for the 11-2 advantage. Passmore scored the final IC run of the inning on a wild pitch that made the score 12-2.
In the bottom of the fourth, outfielder
Jonathan Odom entered the game for Barker in left field as Lougeay recorded another scoreless frame. In the top of the fifth, IC added a run on a rbi single to right from Passmore that scored Hennemann that made the score 13-2. In the bottom half of the inning, IC called upon first-year pitcher
Jake Holder out of the bullpen as he recorded a scoreless inning that included two strikeouts.
In the top of the sixth, Decker led off the inning with a double to left and later scored on a two-run home run off the bat of Hennemann for the final IC runs of the game that made the score 15-3. In the final inning, IC made its final pitching change of the game and turned to first-year
Connor Akstulewicz. Akstulewicz recorded the first two outs of the inning very quickly with a strikeout and a groundout. Shortly later, Northland added their final run of the game on a rbi double from Hunter Wicklund that generated the final score of 15-3.
For the game, IC was led in runs batted in by Passmore with three while Decker, Hennemann, and Mapes each recorded three hits. On the mound, Lougaey pitched four innings while striking out six batters and earned the victory. Relievers Holder and Akstulewicz combined to throw three innings and struck out four. As a team, IC produced 15 runs on 12 hits.
The Blueboys will have a off day tomorrow and return to the diamond on Thursday, March 7 to face Penn State Abington at 12:30 PM Eastern Time in Davenport, Florida.
