GRINNELL, Iowa – Illinois College closed out the regular season on Saturday with a Midwest Conference doubleheader split at Grinnell College, securing the No. 2 seed for next weekend's Midwest Conference Tournament, which will also be hosted by Grinnell.

The Blueboys finish the regular season at 24-16 overall and 15-6 in conference play.

Game One - Grinnell 6 Illinois College 5
Illinois College built an early 5-0 lead behind a strong offensive start, but Grinnell rallied late to take the opener.

The Blueboys opened the scoring in the second inning and added runs in each of the first four frames. Nolan Decker provided the big early swing with a two-run home run in the third, while Maddox Klawitter added an RBI single in the second and another RBI groundout in the fourth. Nicholas Muskopf also scored on a wild pitch as Illinois College jumped ahead early.

Grinnell began to chip away in the middle innings and stayed within striking distance before breaking through in the seventh. 

Decker led the offense with a two-run homer, while Fleener added a pair of hits and a stolen base. Anthony Buonaura went six innings giving up just five hits and two earned runs while punching out five batters.

Game Two - Illinois College 17 Grinnell 5
The Blueboys responded in game two, jumping ahead early and maintaining control throughout in a 17-5 win to earn the split.

Illinois College struck quickly with a four-run first inning, highlighted by Decker's three-run home run. The offense continued to apply pressure throughout the game, including a five-run sixth inning that stretched the lead comfortably.

Ketch Mills finished with three hits and drove in three runs. He also added a key two-run hit during the sixth-inning surge as part of the offensive rally.

Tyler Barker and Nicholas Muskopf each collected three hits and three RBIs, while Decker also drove in three runs as the offense spread production throughout the lineup.

Michael Larson set the tone on the mound in game two, throwing five shutout innings while striking out six to earn the win.

Blue Notes
Ketch Mills now holds the single-season record for most hits in a season with 66 after his three-hit game two this afternoon. 

Up Next
The Blueboys will turn their attention to the Midwest Conference Tournament, where they are set to face Beloit College on Friday, with the time and location still to be determined.