WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Sophomore shortstop Brandon Skopick went 5-for-5 and the Illinois Wesleyan baseball team had 22 hits in a 14-5 win over Hamilton College on Wednesday, March 14, in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at the Chain o' Lakes Park in Winter Haven, Fla.

The Titans improved to 7-1 this season while Hamilton was playing its first game of the 2018 campaign.

Freshman Nick Watson (1-0) was the winning pitcher as he came in to relieve in the first inning and pitched a scoreless 3 2/3 innings, allowing three hits with two walks while striking out four.

Skopick, who raised his team-high batting average to .417, stole two bases and scored four runs. Sophomore centerfielder Nick Figus had four hits, junior leftfielder John Bosco had three hits and four runs batted in, senior third baseman Gino Cavalieri had three hits with a double and a triple and three RBI, and senior designated hitter Mike Plecki had two hits and knocked in two runs.

Cavalieri, whose average improved to .412, has hit safely in all eight Titan games this year.

The Titans, who have outscored opponents 25-9 in the first two innings in games this season, put up four first inning runs, five in the third and four more in the seventh. IWU has a 15-4 edge over opponents in the seventh innings this year.

What's Next?
The Titans continue play in Florida with a game at 9:45 a.m. Thursday (March 15) against Wisconsin-LaCrosse.