NCAA Division III Baseball Championships Web Site

Illinois Wesleyan 2010 Baseball Postseason Media Guide

Illinois Wesleyan 7, Shenandoah 5 - Box Score

GRAND CHUTE, Wis. - Illinois Wesleyan got two-run home runs in the first inning from senior first baseman Casey McIntosh and junior third baseman Jeff Grodecki to take a four-run lead and went on to a 7-5 win over Shenandoah in the NCAA Division III championship series in Grand Chute, Wis.

The Titans, winners of eight straight to improve to 28-20, will now meet No. 2-ranked Heidelberg (41-6) at 7:45 p.m. Saturday, May 29. Heidelberg was a 3-2 winner over No. 1-ranked Johns Hopkins earlier in the tournament.

Junior righthander Jason Pankau (10-2) pitched a complete game 10-hitter with seven strikeouts and walked one while allowing three earned runs. This was the first NCAA Division III World Series win for Illinois Wesleyan, who had gone 0-2 in its first appearance in 2001.

The Titans staked Pankau to the early lead when senior second baseman Brett Moore led off with a single to left field and went to second on a sacrifice by senior designated hitter Mike Morrissey. McIntosh then homered to left field to make the score 2-0. After a strikeout, centerfielder Ryan Hopp singled to left and Grodecki homered to left field to make the score 4-0.

Illinois Wesleyan added a run in the second when rightfielder Kevin Sullivan hit a sharp, two-out single to rightfield to chase home Morrissey, who had reached on a fielder's choice.

After the Hornets had closed to within a run at 5-4, IWU added runs in the sixth and seventh.
With one out in the sixth, Moore doubled to right center, went to third on a single by Morrissey and scored on a sacrifice fly by McIntosh, who finished with three runs batted in.

Illinois Wesleyan got a leadoff hit by Hopp in the seventh, With two outs, Hopp stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher before McDermott singled to right field to knock in the run and put the Titans ahead 7-4.