ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Junior Nick Huskisson and freshman Nick Brune combined for a shutout against Chicago to give the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team a split of its two season opening games in St. Louis on Saturday, March 5.
 
Illinois Wesleyan is 1-1 after losing the opener at Fontbonne, 3-2, in 10 innings before defeating the University of Chicago, 3-0 in the second game on a neutral site Shaw Park.
 
Huskisson struck out seven and allowed just one hit in the first five innings and Brune went the final four for the Titans, allowing three hits and striking out four. Illinois Wesleyan collected 11 hits with two each from Huskisson, third baseman Jarrod Juskiewicz, sophomore leftfielder Mike Plecki and freshman shortstop Jonathan Broadbear.

IWU scored a pair of unearned runs in the top of the eighth as Broadbear had an RBI single and another run came in on a fielder's choice.

The Titans lost the opener to Fontbonne (now 2-5) in the bottom of the 10th inning. The Griffins got the winning run with a leadoff double, an intentional walk, a hit batsman, and a walk-off walk.
 
IWU had 10 hits with two each coming from senior centerfielder Adam Glogovsky, sophomore second baseman Gino Cavalieri and freshman rightfielder Ben Manski. Huskisson, Cavalieri, Manski and senior first baseman Matthew Mardis all smacked doubles for Illinois Wesleyan.
 
Junior Sean Coonan started the game and went four innings, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and a strikeout. Sophomore Matt Banaitis (0-1) struck out three in one inning but absorbed the loss.
 
What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan opens its spring break trip in Memphis, Tenn., with a three-game series against Blackburn. IWU plays a single game against the Beavers on Friday, March 11, and a doubleheader on Saturday, March 12. Go here for the entire spring break schedule.