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Illinois Wesleyan 14, Ripon 8 - Box Score

MOLINE, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan continued winning in the NCAA Division III Central Regional, banging out 20 hits in a 14-8 win over Ripon on Friday, May 21. Five hits came off the bat of junior centerfielder Ryan Hopp and senior lefthander Joe Froelich pitched seven innings of outstanding relief in the win.

The Titans improved to 25-20 with their fifth straight win and Ripon was eliminated with a 24-17 mark. IWU will next play at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Webster, the other undefeated team in the tourney. The Gorloks downed Rose-Hulman, 7-1 on Friday.

Hopp's five hits is tied for second most in a single game in IWU history.

Froelich (1-4), in relief of starter Alex Tosi, retired 10 in a row from the third through the sixth. He scattered six hits, walked no one and allowed three runs while striking out four.
Tosi allowed five runs, only one earned, in two innings while allowing three hits and walking three.

Bryant Bullock hit a leadoff single to left field and Nate Paul walked. Nick Beaman grounded out to third to advance the runners and Taylor Koth drove home Bullock on a fielder's choice when Paul was out in a rundown.

The Red Hawks scored four in the second when Nick Whitty walked with one out. Zach Bayreuther reached on a fielder's choice, forcing Whitty. Bullock reached on an error by the third baseman, scoring Bayreuther. After Paul walked, Beaman hit a three-run homer to leftfield.

The Titans scored a run in the bottom of the second when Hopp doubled to left center and went to third on a fly out by third baseman Jeff Grodecki. Freshman shortstop Zach Scott drove home Hopp on a single to center field.

IWU put four runs up in the fourth when Scott led off with a walk and went to second on a sacrifice. Senior leftfielder Kraig Ladd reached on an infield single and Scott went to third. Senior second baseman Brett Moore reached on a fielder's choice and senior rightfielder Mike Morrissey walked to load the bases. Senior first baseman Casey McIntosh drove home a pair of runs on a single to right field. Kevin Sullivan singled to load the bases again and Hopp's single to right field brought home McIntosh. An error by the third baseman scored Morrissey.

The Titans batted 10 and scored five in the sixth. Moore led off with a single and went to second when Morrissey reached on a fielder's choice. McIntosh forced Morrissey and Moore went to third, scoring on a sacrifice fly by Sulivan. Hopp singled to left center, sending McIntosh to third. Hopp went to second on a wild pitch before Grodecki singled to left field and scored a pair of runs. Scott reached on a two-base error and McDermott brought home two more runs with a single to center field.

With one out, McIntosh singled to left and Sullivan singled to right. Hopp drove in McIntosh with a single to right center, sending Sullivan to third. Grodecki hit a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Sullivan. After a single by Scott, McDermott hit a single that scored Hopp.

McDermott, McIntosh and Grodecki all had three RBI and McIntosh added four hits in addition to Hopp's five.

Wednesday, May 19
GAME 1 – Illinois Wesleyan 2, Buena Vista 1
GAME 2 – Rose-Hulman 5, North Central 4 (11 innings)
GAME 3 – Webster 6, Ripon 0

Thursday, May 20
GAME 4 – Buena Vista 8, North Central 5 (North Central eliminated)

Friday, May 21
GAME 5 – Illinois Wesleyan 14, Ripon 8 (Ripon eliminated)
GAME 6 – Webster 7, Rose-Hulman 1

Saturday, May 22
GAME 7 – 11 a.m. – Illinois Wesleyan (Winner Game 5) vs. Webster (Winner Game 6)
GAME 8 – 2:30 p.m. - Buena Vista (Winner Game 4) vs. Rose-Hulman (Loser Game 6)
GAME 9 – 6 p.m. - Loser Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8

Sunday, May 23
GAME 10 – 11 a.m. - Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 9
GAME 11 – if necessary, same teams as in Game 10