Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Sophomore Bobby Czarnowski delivered a bases-loaded single to bring in the winning run in the ninth inning to cap a comeback and give the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team a 6-5 win in game two of a doubleheader against North Park on Saturday (April 21). IWU lost game one, 8-3.

The Titans are 20-10 overall and 8-6 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, one game behind the No. 27-ranked Vikings, who are 9-5 in league play and 24-8 overall. The same teams will battle at noon Sunday, also at Horenberger Field.

Senior lefty Pat Hayn improved to 2-0 as he pitched a perfect ninth inning to preserve the 5-5 tie heading into the last at bat.

The Titans trailed 5-0 heading into the eighth when sophomore centerfielder Jon Frericks led off with a double to right center. Junior catcher A.J. Nathan singled up the middleto send Frericks to third. Junior third baseman Kevin Callahan singled to left field to score Frericks with IWU's first run.
Sophomore designated hitter Johnathan Erickson singled through the left side to load the bases. Senior leftfielder Mark McDermott reached on a fielder's choice to leave the bases loaded ahead of a single by Czarnowski that scored Callahan. A sacrifice fly by senior rightfielder Kevin Sullivan chased home Erickson. Junior second baseman Anthony Lopez walked to load the bases again and junior shortstop Zach Scott delivered a two-run single to leftfield, scoring Czarnowski and McDermott.

In the ninth, Nathan led off with a single past the third baseman and went to second on a sacrifice by Callahan, his first of the season and first since 2010. Nathan went to third on a wild pitch as the North Park hurler attempted to intentionally pass Erickson. After Erickson took first, McDermott was intentionally walked to load the bases ahead of Czarnowski's long drive over the rightfielder's head.

The Titans fell into a 6-0 hole in the first inning of the opener and could never catch up. Starter Chris Bobo (four hits, one walk, three earned runs) and Matt Hart (two walks, one hit) each lasted only 1/3 of an inning in the first. Junior Nick Mehn provided 6 1/3 innings of relief, allowing two runs (none earned) on five hits while striking out three and walking three.

Nathan and Czarnowski each had three of IWU's nine hits against winning pitcher Steve Kuligowski (8-2).