ELMHURST, Ill. (March 31, 2018) – The Illinois Wesleyan baseball team fell into an early-inning deficit and a late rally fell short in a 9-7 road loss to the Elmhurst Bluejays at Butterfield Park in Elmhurst on Saturday, March 31.
 
The Titans are 11-6 overall and 2-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin and the Bluejays improved to 12-6 this spring and 3-2 in the conference.
 
Elmhurst assumed a 6-1 lead by scoring one in the first and then five runs on four hits with a walk and two batters hit by pitches in the bottom of the second inning.
 
The Titans got back within one run at 8-7 by putting up a four-spot in the eighth. Shortstop Brandon Skopick, leftfielder John Bosco and designated hitter Mike Plecki all had runs batted in as IWU collected five hits in the inning.
 
Skopick had two hits, including a triple, and Bosco had three in the game as eight Titans had hits in an 11-hit attack. Centerfielder Jacob Houghton had a solo home run in the third inning.
 
Freshman starter Nick Watson, the first of five IWU hurlers, lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.

What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan plays a CCIW road game at North Park in Chicago on Tuesday (April 3) at 4 p.m. ... The Vikings are 4-1 in the league (9-11 overall) after a three-game weekend sweep against Carroll.