AUBURNDALE, Fla. – The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team had a pair of home runs by Jack Schneider (Naperville, Ill.-Benet Academy) that helped the Titans defeat Ursinus College 6-1, Saturday evening, March 7. IWU move to 4-2 while Ursinus was dealt their second loss of the season to drop 4-2.

Schneider was 3-for-4 in the game with three runs batted in along with his two home runs, and Nick Figus (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way North HS) also added a pair of hits. Brandon Skopick (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln Way East) tallied two runs scored and Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley HS) batted in two Titans at the plate.

On the mound, Hunter Simon (Verona, Ill.-Seneca HS) went seven innings as a starter and struck out eight while allowing only one run to improve his record to 2-0. Casey Becker (Carol Stream, Ill.-Wheaton North HS) didn't allow any baserunners in his two innings of relief of Simon.

After the Grizzly Bears got on the board first in the top of the second inning, Jeran Simpson (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) led off the bottom of the second with a walk and Schneider belted a two-run home run to give IWU the lead 2-1. Skopick then doubled which led to Dalton Fletcher (Athens, Ill.-Athens HS) batting him home to make the score 3-1.

The Titans were held scoreless in the bottom of the fourth, but Ranneklev tripled in Skopick and Fletcher on a two-out triple in the bottom of the fifth inning. Schneider hit his second homer of the game to extend IWU's lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the sixth.

Simon and Becker combined for three perfect innings in the top of the seventh, eighth, and ninth to seal up the win for the Titans.

Both teams collected nine hits on the day, with IWU leaving four runners on base while Ursinus stranded 11.

Next up for the Titans is a doubleheader against Gordon College, with the first game scheduled for a 9:15 first pitch Sunday, March 8.