AUBURNDALE, Fla. -- Sophomore righthander Braden Miller went 7 1/3 innings and was backed by a 13-hit offense as Illinois Wesleyan won by an 8-4 score on Saturday, March 17, to close out 2018 spring break play in the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational at Lake Myrtle Field in Auburndale, Fla.

With each of the nine batting starters getting a hit, the Titans are 8-3 this season while the Rams are 3-7.

Miller (3-0) struck out four and walked none while allowing six hits and four earned runs. Sophomore Casey Becker threw the rest of the game to earn his first save of the year.

Senior third baseman Gino Cavalieri raised his team-high batting average to .489 with his fifth-straight three-hit game. Senior centerfielder Jake Stewart had two hits and scored a pair of runs and sophomore shortstop Brandon Skopick had a pair of singles. Junior rightfielder Ben Manski had two runs batted in.

With the score tied 3-3 in the eighth, IWU plated four runs to assume a commanding lead.
Senior Mike Plecki led off and was hit by pitch, went to second when Manski walked. Sophomore Garrett Shea walked to load the bases.
Seth Palmby singled and advanced to second on an error, scoring Plecki and Manski. Stewart's sacrifice fly brought home Shea and Palmby came around to score on a passed ball two batters later.

What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan plays a three-game set at Washington U. in St. Louis next weekend with a 12 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday, March 24, and a 12 p.m. single game on Sunday.