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Jalen Ping Hitting
10
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 15-12, 6-4 CCIW
12
Winner Wheaton (IL) WHEATON 11-15, 7-4 CCIW
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
15-12, 6-4 CCIW
10
Final
12
Wheaton (IL) WHEATON
11-15, 7-4 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 7 10 14 0
Wheaton (IL) WHEATON 0 2 4 1 0 3 0 2 X 12 13 4

W: Dyer, Brendan (4-0) L: Hill, Evan (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Comeback Effort Falls Short as Baseball Drops to Wheaton

IWU scored seven runs in the ninth

CAROL STREAM, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team scored seven runs in the ninth inning but ultimately an early deficit was too much to overcome at Lee Pfund Stadium as the Titans fell to Wheaton College, 12-10, in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. With the setback, the Green and White's record now sits at 15-12 (6-4 CCIW), while WC's record climbed to 11-15 (7-4 CCIW).

The Thunder grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the home half of the second inning by manufacturing back-to-back two out singles. Wheaton tacked on four more in the bottom of the third to race out to a 6-0 cushion after three innings of play.

The Titans loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning as freshman Brady Hartman (Milan, Ill.-Sherrard) and junior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West) each produced a base knock, but IWU stranded three to keep the Thunder lead at 6-0.

Wheaton pushed the score to 10-0 as the game progressed to the seventh inning.

Senior Collin Elvers (Hamel, Ill.-Edwardsville) drove in IWU's first run of the ballgame as he barrelled a ground-rule double that bounced over the right field fence, allowing senior Cole Greer (Springfield, Ill.-Pleasant Plains) to trot home as the score stood at 10-1 in the top of the seventh. Freshman Kevin Shoefernacker (Schaumburg, Ill.-Schaumburg) got hit by a pitch, earning an RBI the hard way as sophomore Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) scored. A base on balls by freshman Casey Swanson (Minooka, Ill.-Minooka) cut the deficit to 10-3 as Elvers crossed the plate heading into the home half of the seventh.

The Titans scored seven runs in the ninth as sophomore Dino Biggers (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) doubled, allowing freshman Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) to race home to cut into the Thunder advantage as the score stood at 12-4. A junior Blake Niebrugge (Watson, Ill.-Effinham St. Anthony) sacrifice fly pushed another run across to make the deficit 12-5. 

The Green and White would not go quietly as Perona and junior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) notched back-to-back, two-out, RBI singles to trim the deficit to five,12-7. Elvers continued his solid evening at the plate as he delivered his second double of the game as he laced a double to right, driving in two, as the contest grew tighter with a score of 12-9. A Thunder miscue allowed the seventh run to cross the plate to make the score 12-10, but IWU's comeback effort ended there.

Senior Evan Hill (Gurnee, Ill.-Warren Township) earned his first start on the bump for the Titans this year as he tossed two innings of work and allowed two runs on three hits. The Gurnee, Ill. native took the loss (0-1).

The Titans outhit the Thunder by a final tally of 14-13. Ping paced the offense as he enjoyed a three-hit game, while Hartman and Elvers each notched a pair of hits. 

The Green and White will open up a key two-game CCIW series, Saturday, April 23 against Millikin University. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 1 p.m. in Decatur, Ill. 
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