EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team scored a combined 26 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Greenville University Friday afternoon, Feb. 26, on the campus of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. IWU (2-0) cruised to a 12-1 victory in game one and a 14-2 run-rule win in the night cap.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 12, Greenville 1
The Titans overpowered the Panthers (0-2) in the opener, as IWU cranked out 12 runs on 19 hits, while Greenville produced one run on four hits. 

Senior starter Quinn Gudaitis (Arlington Heights, Ill.-John Hersey) was exceptional on the mound, striking out 10 and allowing just two hits over six innings of work. Senior Eric Bennes (Palatine, Ill.-Fremd) tossed the final two frames, striking out three, while yielding one run on two hits. 

IWU's 19 hits were spread out among nine players. Junior Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) single-handedly outhit Greenville, finishing 5-for-6 with a run scored and a run batted in. Also notching multiple hits were sophomore Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) and freshman Will Kafer (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal West). Burgh drove in three in a 3-for-6 effort, while Kafer went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, a triple, and a run scored in his collegiate debut. Freshman Evan Hutson (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) also turned in a strong outing in his first career game, tying Burgh for the team lead with three RBIs.

After scoring one in the second, Illinois Wesleyan carried a 1-0 edge into the fifth. Freshman Evan Hutson (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) delivered with the bases loaded, singling through the left side to put the Titans up 3-0. Burgh tacked on another run with a base hit to make it 4-0 Titans into the sixth.

IWU added to its lead on Ranneklev's RBI single in the seventh, before erupting for seven runs on six hits and two errors in the top of the eighth. 

Greenville broke up the shutout in the bottom of the eighth, but Bennes induced a game-ending groundout to wrap up the 12-1 Titan win.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 14, Greenville 2
Ranneklev's hot hitting carried over into game two, where he finished 3-for-4, a home run shy of the cycle. Dominic DiLello (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart Griffin), Cole Greer (Springfield, Ill.-Pleasant Plains), and Jack Schneider (Naperville, Ill.-Benet Academy) also recorded multi-hit games. DiLello cranked out three hits in four at bats, including the Titans' first homer of the season, to go along with a triple, two RBIs, and four runs scored. Greer went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, while Schneider drove in four in a 2-for-5 showing.

Senior Hunter Simon (Verona, Ill.-Seneca) got the start, going four innings, striking out four and allowing two runs on four hits. In three innings of relief, senior Brady Hough (Germantown Hills, Ill.-Peoria Notre Dame) struck out four.

IWU wasted no time in the night cap, as DiLello led the game off with a solo home run down the left field line. Schneider and Kafer piled it on with RBIs, as Schneider singled up the middle to bring home two and Kafer drove in one on a single to left center.

Greenville cut Illinois Wesleyan's 4-0 lead in half with a pair of runs on three hits in the Panthers half of the first before Simon escaped the inning with an infield fly and a strikeout.

IWU upped the score to 7-2 with three runs on four hits in the second inning. With DiLello leading things off once again, this time with a walk, Greer and Ranneklev singled to load the bases. After DiLello crossed the plate on a wild pitch, Collin Elvers (Hamel, Ill.-Edwardsville) singled up the middle to bring Ranneklev home. Hutson followed with a base knock down the left field line, scoring one, before a double play sent the game to the third with IWU holding a five-run lead.

The Panthers threatened in the fourth, putting two on with one out, but Simon sent back-to-back batters down looking to maintain the Titans' 7-2 lead into the fifth.

Illinois Wesleyan sprung for four runs in the sixth and three in the seventh, breaking the game open and upping its lead to 12, 14-3, into the eighth.

Hough struck out two and stranded one in the eighth, to finish off the 14-3 victory.

Illinois Wesleyan and Greenville finish off the three-game series Tuesday, March 2, in O'Fallon, Ill. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. at Family Sports Park.