Box Score

CCIW Tournament Website

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Eight strong shutout innings of relief by junior Jeff Johnson helped Illinois Wesleyan to a 3-2 win over Wheaton to open the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament on Friday (May 10) morning.

The Titans are 30-10 and will play next at 6 p.m. against the winner of the game between Augustana and North Park. The Thunder slipped to 14-26 and will play in the losers' bracket game at 4 p.m.

Wheaton opened the scoring with two runs in the first inning but the Titans answered with two to tie the game at 2-2 after one.

With one out, senior Zach Scott singled to center and went to second on a wild pitch. After a strikeout, sophomore Nick Hahn delivered a run scoring single to left and went to second on the throw home. Junior Jon Frericks then knocked in Hahn with a single to rightfield.

IWU scored  the winning run in the eighth. With one out, Frericks had an infield single, junior Johnathan Erickson singled and senior Anthony Lopez reached on an error by the shortstop. With the bases loaded, senior catcher A.J. Nathan singled through the left side of the infield to drive home Frericks.

Johnson (7-0) relieved starter Matt Hart after the first inning and pitched eight innings, allowing only two hits with one walk while striking out seven.
Wheaton lefthander Michael Kauffman (6-2) took the loss, striking out nine and scattering 11 hits in eight innings.