CCIW 2010 Baseball Tournament Web Site

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan won a pair of games against Carthage to claim the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin baseball tournament championship on Sunday, May 16 in Naperville. The Titans won by scores of 7-4 and 6-2 and earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

The NCAA Divison III tournament selections for the 55-team field will be announced Monday, May 17 and the regionals will be played May 19-23.

The Titans, now 23-20 this season after three straight wins, will be making their eighth NCAA Division III tournament appearance, fifth in the last seven years and first since 2008. Illinois Wesleyan has an 11-15 overall record in NCAA postseason play and has lost five straight NCAA games.

Illinois Wesleyan 6, Carthage 2 – Box Score, Game Two

In the second game victory, Joe Sweeney (4-2) gave Illinois Wesleyan its second strong complete game pitching performance of the day, working all nine innings and allowing the Red Men only two runs on seven hits while striking out five, including two in the ninth.

Offensively, IWU scored two in the third and one in the fourth to lead 3-0. In the third, Zach Scott led off with a single and went to second on a sacrifice by Mark McDermott. Kraig Ladd singled to rightfield to score Scott. After Brett Moore walked and was forced at second on a fielder's choice, sending Ladd to third, Casey McIntosh doubled to chase home Ladd and make the score 2-0.
In the fourth, Ryan Hopp and Jeff Grodecki singled and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Scott. McDermott then hit a sacrifice fly to knock in Scott.

A solo home run by Hopp in the eighth made the score 4-2 and Hopp, who had three hits, doubled home an insurance run in the ninth and Grodecki had a sacrifice fly to make the score 6-2.

Illinois Wesleyan 7, Carthage 4 - Box Score, Game One

The Titans got a much-needed complete game pitching victory from senior righthander Paul Kabbes (2-4), who allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.

It was a big second inning that put the Titans ahead, 4-2. With one out, IWU got consecutive singles by centerfielder Ryan Hopp, third baseman Jeff Grodecki and freshman shortstop Zach Scott (whose hit scored Hopp). After a ground out by catcher Mark McDermott, senior leftfielder Kraig Ladd delivered a three-run home run to stake the Titans to the lead.

IWU, who got 14 hits in the game, added a single run in the sixth and two insurance runs in the ninth on hits by seniors Brett Moore and Mike Morrissey. The team got outstanding production from the 7-8-9 hitters as Scott was 4-for-4 while McDermott and Ladd each got two hits.