BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team split with Elmhurst College on Friday, March 30, falling in game one 11-3 before shutting out the Bluejays in game two by a final score of 3-0. Junior
Nick Brune (2-1) threw a complete game shutout in game two allowing just seven base runners while striking out six.
With a spilt the Titans moved to 11-5 on the season with a 2-1 mark in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Elmhurst is now 11-6 overall and own a 2-2 record in CCIW competition.
Things got out of hand early in game one as the Titans surrendered six unanswered runs to the Bluejays in the first three innings. Sophomore
Garrett Shea put Illinois Wesleyan on the board in the bottom of the third with a solo home run, his third home run of the season. Shea finished the game 2-for-3 with two RBI. Freshman Brandon Skopick drove in the Titans only other run of the contest on a double in the seventh inning.
Freshman
Eric Bennes (1-2) was the losing pitcher in game one lasting just 1 1/3 innings. Illinois Wesleyan used eight pitchers in game one, with sophomore
Jim O'Brien tossing the longest outing at 3 1/3 innings.
Elmhurst's Nick Drago shut the Titans down over 8 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and three earned runs while striking out nine batters.
Tides turned for IWU in game two as the Bluejays were baffled by Brune. In a complete game, Brune tossed five 1-2-3 innings for the Titans. Illinois Wesleyan's top of the order provided all the offense needed to get a win in game two with each of the top five batters adding hits to their season tally.
In the third inning, sophomore
Nick Figus plated Shea on a single through the right side for the game's first run. Junior
John Bosco added to the Titans lead in the fifth with an RBI single to left that scored Skopick. Skopick rounded the bases once more in the eighth following a sacrifice fly from senior
Gino Cavalieri. In total, Skopick reached base three times in game two via single, walk, and hit by pitch. Skopick added two stolen bases to his season total in game two and now has eight on the season.
Nathan Tovell (1-3) was the losing pitcher for Elmhurst despite a quality start. Tovell lasted 7 2/3 innings allowing five hits, three earned runs, and three walks, while striking out five.
What's Next?
Following a split with the Bluejays on Friday, Illinois Wesleyan will continue their season series against Elmhurst on the road with a single game at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.
