Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Jacob Cyrus Putching
3
Central CEN 2-1
11
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4-5
Central CEN
2-1
3
Final
11
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
4-5
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Central CEN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 3 7 2
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 1 0 1 3 1 3 X 11 16 0

W: Cyrus, Jacob (1-0) L: Marcus Wenzel (0-1) S: Lohman, Bryce (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Bats Stay Hot as Baseball Soars Past Dutch

Highlighted by Cyrus’ six inning pitching performance

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - Fresh off the team's opening game win in the Sunshine State, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team took to the diamond again Sunday, March 13. This time, the Green and White battled against Central College. The Titan offense stacked up 16 hits that led to an 11-3 victory. With the win, IWU's record jumped to 4-5, while the Dutch suffered their first loss of the season with a 2-1 record.

With two outs in the home half of the first inning, junior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) notched a double down the left field line, scoring senior Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) and senior Jared Mutter (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) creating a 2-0 early lead for the Green and White.

Sophomore Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) pitched out of a bases loaded jam, with only one away, in the top of the third as the sophomore struck out two hitters to keep Central off of the scoreboard and to maintain the 2-0 cushion.

In the bottom of the third, junior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) barrelled up an offering and laced it into the right center field gap for a leadoff double. Ping would later come around to score on a Dutch wild pitch to expand the advantage to 3-0.  

In the fifth inning, Burgh grounded out to short, driving in Ping, to push the score to 4-0.

The Green and White tacked on three big insurance runs on four hits in the sixth to break the game open, 7-0. Ranneklev singled up the middle to take full advantage of sophomore Evan Hutson's (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) leadoff double that shorthopped the left field fence to open up a comfortable advantage. Ping continued his hot day at the dish by singling through the left side to allow Ranneklev to cross the plate. Senior Dominic DiLello (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart Griffin) joined in on the fun as he drove in Ping. 

IWU added another run in the seventh to generate an 8-0 lead heading into the seventh inning stretch.

The Dutch got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning by scoring three runs to cut into the deficit and to make the score 8-3 in favor of the Green and White.

However, IWU retook an eight-run cushion back in the bottom half of the eighth as the Titans pushed across three to enjoy an 11-3 lead heading into the final frame.

Illinois Wesleyan went on to win the contest, 11-3, behind Cyrus' six strong innings that included 10 strikeouts on three hits as he earned his first win of the year (1-0). 

Junior Bryce Lohman (Effingham, Ill.-Effingham) came out of the bullpen to finish off the game, tossing three innings with three strikeouts en route to picking up a save.

Ping enjoyed a 4-for-5 afternoon to lead the IWU offensive attack. Ranneklev, DiLello, Burgh, and sophomore Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) each notched a two hit performance.  

The Titans will enjoy an off day, then the team will square off against Anderson College with a 1:15 p.m. ET first pitch Tuesday, March 15. The game is scheduled to be played at Northeast Regional Park, field #1, in Davenport, Fla.
Print Friendly Version