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Jalen Ping Hitting (Used for Feb. 26 Story Photo)
11
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1-2
0
Neb. Wesleyan NWU 4-2
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
1-2
11
Final
0
Neb. Wesleyan NWU
4-2
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1 5 0 5 0 0 0 0 11 11 0
Neb. Wesleyan NWU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 0 2 1

W: Banks, Dalen (1-0) L: Noah Unger (0-1)

4
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 1-2
5
Winner Fontbonne FONTBONN 4-3
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES
1-2
4
Final
5
Fontbonne FONTBONN
4-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan ILL. WES 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 4 6 1
Fontbonne FONTBONN 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 5 4 3

W: D. Howard (1-0) L: Ciullo, Jonathan (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Blows By Nebraska Wesleyan, Stunned by Fontbonne

Pitching staff only allowed six hits in 16 innings

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team concluded the program's four-game opening weekend in St. Louis, Sunday, Feb. 26 by taking on Nebraska Wesleyan University and Fontbonne University. In game one, sophomore Dalen Banks (Springfield, Ill.-Springfield) tossed a gem on the mound, with a final line of six innings, two hits, and zero runs. IWU's offense exploded for 11 runs on 11 hits, as the Titans downed the Prairie Wolves by a final score of 11-0. In the nightcap, Fontbonne stunned IWU with a walk-off homer to steal the 5-4 victory. After today's action, the Green and White's record sits at 1-3.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 11, Nebraska Wesleyan 0
The Titan offense wasted little time getting things going as sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) laced a leadoff triple to right field. With a prime opportunity to grab an early cushion, senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) found a pitch to his liking and delivered his first RBI of the season as the Green and White took the early 1-0 lead. 

Banks, seeing his first action on the mound as a Titan, worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the home half of the first via a harmless ground ball putout to Gurgone. IWU maintained the 1-0 advantage after the first inning of action.

IWU tacked on four runs, with three hits, in the second. Senior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West) doubled down the left field line to lead off the frame. Junior Nick Pratscher (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) reached base on a hit by pitch to put two on, and no out. Fouling off several pitches and producing an impressive at-bat, freshman Tommy Willard (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) singled, driving in his first two runs in his collegiate career as the Titans welcomed a 3-0 lead. 

Ping and junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) each drove in a run, while Gurgone was able to scamper home on a Nebraska Wesleyan miscue to push the advantage to 6-0 after one and a half.

Banks, again working out of a jam on the basepaths, induced a flyball to Ping to end the first and third threat as IWU's lead remained 6-0 after three innings.

With two outs and no one on in the fourth, the Green and White exploded for five runs. Ping barreled up an offering on the outer third and sent a one-hopper off the turf for a ground rule double. Perona then singled up the middle, driving home Ping in the process. Sophomores Cade Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) and Keenan Burgos (Park Ridge, Ill.-Niles Notre Dame) each drove in a run, while Pratscher drove in a pair, as the Titan lead expanded to 11-0.

The Prairie Wolves could not muster a comeback as IWU claimed the team's first win of the 2023 season by a final score of 11-0.

IWU outhit NWU by a final tally of 11-2. Ping produced a three-for-four afternoon at the dish, while Bleker added a pair of base knocks.

Banks, who earned his first NCAA victory (1-0) on the mound, tossed six innings. The sophomore only allowed two hits and struck out four. Freshman Christian Schloneger (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) entered out of the bullpen and shut the door in seventh to preserve the victory.


Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 4, Fontbonne 5
In the nightcap, Fontbonne took the 3-0 lead heading into the third inning. 

The Titans generated some traffic on the bases that resulted in two Fontbonne miscues in the fifth. Pratscher scampered home on the Griffins first fielding error, then Ping singled, and advanced on another miscue, which brought home Gurgone and junior Dino Biggers (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) to knot the score at three-all. 

Taking full advantage of the home team's errors, Perona laced a single to center, to drive in the go-ahead run as IWU took its first lead of the contest, 4-3, heading to the bottom half of the fifth. 

Making his second appearance of the young season, freshman Jake Pullam (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) worked out of a one out, runner on second threat by striking out back-to-back Griffins to end the seventh as IWU clinged to a 4-3 lead as the game progressed to the eighth.

With one on in the bottom of the ninth, Fontbonne hit a walk-off, two-run, homer to stun the Titans. The Griffins walked away with the 5-4 victory. 

IWU tallied six hits in the contest, compared to Fontbonne's four. Bleker notched a team-high two hits in the win. 

Junior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) got the nod on the bump for IWU. Cyrus toed the rubber for three innings, allowed two hits, and fanned five Griffins in his season debut.  

The Green and White will return to St. Louis for a three-game weekend series against WashU, Saturday-Sunday, March 4-5. The Titans and Bears will square off in a double dip Saturday, before concluding the series Sunday. First pitch for game one of the series is slated for 12 p.m. at the newly renovated Kelly Field.

 
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