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Illinois Wesleyan 8, Webster 3 - Box Score

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

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

Friday, May 21 
Illinois Wesleyan 14, Ripon 8 
Webster 7, Rose-Hulman 1

Saturday, May 22 
Illinois Wesleyan 8, Webster 3 
Buena Vista 11, Rose-Hulman 6 (Rose-Hulman eliminated) 
Buena Vista 13, Webster 8 (Webster eliminated)

Sunday, May 22
GAME 10 – 11 a.m. - Illinois Wesleyan (26-20) vs. Buena Vista (32-12)
GAME 11 – if necessary, same teams as in Game 10 

MOLINE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team is one win from going to the NCAA Division III championships after defeating Webster, 8-3, at the Central Regional in Moline, Ill., on Saturday, May 22.

The Titans improved to 26-20 with their sixth straight win and will play for the regional title at 11 a.m. on Sunday, May 23 against Buena Vista (32-12). The Beavers eliminated Rose-Hulman, 11-6, and Webster, 13-8, on Saturday. Buena Vista would also need to pin two losses on the Titans Sunday to earn the championship.

The winner of the Central regional title will play at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, May 28 against Shenandoah University in the Division III Championships at Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium in Appleton, Wis. Shenandoah improved to 38-8 as the Hornets won four straight games to win the Fayetteville (N.C.) Regional.

Senior righthander Brent Kulavic (5-2) struck out eight in seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits while walking one. Sophomore Joe Sweeney earned his first save of the season, working the final two innings and allowing only two hits.

The Gorloks took a 2-0 lead in the fourth when, with one out, Victor Valdez singled to left center and Paul Kienker singled to left field. Craig Schaefer then singled to left field to bring home Valdez. After a strikeout, Nathan Shelton singled to right field and scored Kienker.

But the Titans answered with four in the bottom of the fourth with the big blow being a three-run home run by freshman shortstop Zach Scott. Senior Mike Morrissey led off with an infield single and went to second when senior Casey McIntosh walked. Rightfielder Kevin Sullivan forced McIntosh to put runners at the corners for Ryan Hopp, who reached on a fielder's choice and drove in Morrissey. After junior third baseman Jeff Grodecki singled to left center, Scott greeted relief pitcher Bryan Stanley with his blast over the rightfield wall to put IWU ahead, 4-2.

Webster closed to 4-3 in the sixth when Valdez led off with a double to right center, went to third on a ground out and scored on a ground ball to second.

Illinois Wesleyan added another run in the sixth. With one out, Hopp and Grodecki walked. Scott fouled out to the third baseman before catcher Mark McDermott singled to rightfield to chase home Hopp.

The Titans collected three more runs in the eighth. Hopp singled to left field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Scott walked and McDermott doubled to left field to score Hopp and send Scott to third. Senior leftfielder Kraig Ladd singled to center field, bringing home Scott and moving McDermott to third. Senior second baseman Brett Moore hit a deep sacrifice fly to centerfield scored McDermott.