AUBURNDALE, Fla. – A total of 30 runs were scored in just 14 total innings for the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team in their doubleheader sweep of Gordon College, Sunday, March 8. The Titans are now 6-2 with a 4-0 record on the current Florida trip while Gordon fell to 4-3. This is the first instance of IWU scoring at least 10 runs in both doubleheader games since scoring 11 runs in both games against Wheaton College, April 16, 2019.
Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 13, Gordon 1
The Titans scored 12 in the bottom of the fifth and sixth innings combined to earn a decisive 13-1 victory over the Fighting Scots in game 1. IWU racked up 10 hits led by
Brandon Skopick (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln Way East) and
Jeran Simpson (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton-Warrenville South HS) who collected three each.
Charles Bischoff (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield Central HS) had three runs batted in while
Nick Figus (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way North HS),
Jack Schneider (Naperville, Ill.-Benet Academy), and
Dan Cerniglia (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South HS) each brought home a pair of Titans at the plate.
Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley HS) crossed home plate three times for the Titans.
Evan Hill (Gurnee, Ill.-Warren Township HS) put in a strong start, pitching six full innings while giving up only three hits and one unearned run. He also struck out eight Gordon hitters while walking only two to get his first win of the season.
Both teams held each other scoreless until the Fighting Scots plated one in the top of the fourth inning. IWU tied the game up the next half inning by loading the bases with Ranneklev, Simpspon, and
Blake Niebruegge (Watson, Ill.-Effingham St. Anthony HS), and Bischoff taking a walk to bring in Ranneklev to make the score 1-1.
The bottom of the fifth inning started with a single by Skopick, with him making it to third base on a pair of wild pitches.
Dalton Fletcher (Athens, Ill.-Athens HS) reached base on a walk with Skopick scoring on the fourth ball thrown of the at bat, a wild pitch. After a pitching change, Ranneklev reached base on an error and Simpson singling to load the bases up with no outs. Schneider singled to bring in the go-ahead runs by Fletcher and Ranneklev to give the Titans their first lead, 3-1.
Niebruegge scored Simpson on a single and Cerniglia reached on a fielder's choice that scored Schneider to double the lead to 5-1. Bischoff singled in another run and Cerniglia scored on an error to extend the lead to 7-1.
In the next inning, the bottom of the sixth, Ranneklev led off with a walk, and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Schneider walked and Niebruegge was hit by a pitch to load the bases again for the Titans. Cerniglia showed a good eye at the plate bringing home Ranneklev on a walk and Bischoff reached on a fielder's choice that scored Schneider for his third RBI of the game.
Figus added a two-RBI double and Skopick singled in another run to make the final margin 13-1 in favor of the Titans.
Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 17, Gordon 4
The IWU offense didn't let up in the second leg of the doubleheader, spreading out their runs in a 17-4 clobbering of the Fighting Scots in game two. Skopick set a career-high with four hits and scored four runs with an RBI while
Jared Mutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East HS) had five RBI's on the day to keep the Titans undefeated in Florida in 2020. Fletcher and Ranneklev scored three runs while Simpson batted in three runs.
On the mound,
Eric Bennes (Palatine, Ill.-Fremd HS) went five innings and struck out eight Fighting Scots while giving up seven hits and three earned runs to get his first win of the season.
IWU showed no signs of slowing down in the top of the first, scoring five without any extra base hits. Figus led off the game with a walk and Skopick singled on with a bunt and advanced to second on a throwing error. Fletcher drew a walk and Figus crossed the plate on a wild pitch to get the Titans on the board. Skopick was able to score on a balk and Simpson scored on another wild pitch to put the Titans up 3-0. Schneider produced an RBI on a groundout and Simpson crossed home on a balk to give IWU a 5-0 lead.
The top of the second had another two runs score on an RBI single by Skopick and a groundout by Fletcher to make the score 7-0 after one and a half innings. Gordon responded by getting a trio of runs in the bottom of the second to cut the Titan lead to 7-3.
The Titans got four runs back in the top of the fourth, with Ranneklev and Mutter each hitting two-RBI doubles to make the lead 11-3. No runs were scored by either team in the fifth or sixth innings as Bennes and
Dan Trudeau (Mokena, Ill.-Mt. Carmel HS) kept the Fighting Scots off the scoreboard.
In the top of the seventh, Simpson hit a bases-clearing double scoring Skopick, Fletcher, and Ranneklev to extend the lead to 14-3. Later on, Mutter clobbered a three-run home run to bring Simpson and Schneider home to push the winning margin to 14.
IWU returns to the field Tuesday, March 10 after a day off to square up against Beloit College. First pitch is scheduled for 9 a.m. ET.
