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Jimmy Gurgone Fielding on Feb. 7, 2023
7
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4-9
8
Winner Wabash WABASH 12-6
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
4-9
7
Final
8
Wabash WABASH
12-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 1 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 7 13 2
Wabash WABASH 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 3 0 1 8 8 1

W: S. Phillips (1-0) L: Costello, Luke (0-2)

9
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4-10
12
Winner Wabash WABASH 13-6
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
4-10
9
Final
12
Wabash WABASH
13-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 4 0 0 4 1 0 0 9 15 0
Wabash WABASH 0 2 2 0 1 0 6 1 X 12 16 2

W: B. Bryant (2-0) L: Ciullo, Jonathan (0-4) S: S. Phillips (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Drops Doubleheader to Wabash

Home opener set for tomorrow at 5:30 p.m.

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. - After eight days off, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team made the trip to Crawfordsville, Ind. for a doubleheader against Wabash College, March 26. After manufacturing a 6-1 game one lead in the seventh, the Little Giants scored seven times over the final four innings to stun, in walk-off fashion in the 10th, the Titans by a final score of 8-7. In the nightcap, Wabash exploded for a six run seventh to take both ends of the double dip with a final score of 12-9. After today's action, IWU's record slipped to 5-10, while WC's record sits at 13-6.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 7, Wabash 8 (10 innings)
Just three pitches into the game, senior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard) roped an outside offering into right center field for a stand up, leadoff, double. Junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) earned a four-pitch base on balls, while Bleker scampered to third on a wild pitch to set up the Titans with first and third, with only one away. After a Perona stolen base, senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) got IWU on the board with a groundout to shortstop. With two outs, sophomore Casey Swanson (Minooka, Ill.-Minooka) turned on an inside pitch and drove it down the right field line, as Perona easily scored, to put the Green and White ahead 2-0, after a half inning of play.

Swanson, continuing his solid afternoon at the dish, delivered his second RBI of the contest in the third by singling through the left side as Perona, who earned his second walk and second stolen base, came around to score to push the advantage to 3-0. 

The Little Giants got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning with a pair of hits. With first and third, and no one out, sophomore Dalen Banks (Springfield, Ill.-Springfield) induced a 4-6-3 double play as one run crossed the plate to cut the deficit to 3-1.

However, IWU got their bats rolling again in the fifth as Bleker, senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood), and Perona laced back-to-back-to-back singles to begin the frame. Perona's base knock brought home Bleker as the Titans regained their three-run advantage, 4-1. Wabash's defense turned an impressive inning-ending double play to end the threat as the game progressed to the bottom of the fifth.

The Titans tallied two runs in the sixth, on three hits. Sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) led off the frame with a double down the left field line. With one out, junior Nick Pratscher (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) barreled up a double over the right fiedler's head that allowed Gurgone to scamper home to give IWU the 5-1 cushion. A sacrifice fly from Bleker pushed the score to 6-1.

A Little Giant three-run homer in the seventh cut IWU's lead to just two, 6-4.

In the bottom of the seventh, junior Alex Smith (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) made his IWU debut on the mound and made the most of his outing. With one out and runners on first and second, Alex Smith retired the side by inducing a fly ball and a strikeout to keep the score at 6-4, as the game progressed to the eighth.

With two outs in the eighth, Ping drove in freshman Tommy Willard (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) on a double past the diving third baseman for an important insurance run to make the score 7-4, in favor of IWU.

Wabash manufactured three runs in the eighth to tie the game at seven. A remarkable leaping catch by Willard, who was able to double off the runner at second, prevented the potential game-winning run to cross the plate as the game went to extras.

In the bottom of the 10th, a two-out, one on double propelled the Little Giants over IWU by a final score of 8-7.

Banks earned his fifth start on the bump for the Green and White. All of the sophomore's starts have been at least five innings, as Banks tossed six innings this afternoon, his fourth six inning outing of the year. The Springfield, Ill. native took a no-decision and allowed three hits, with one extra base hit. Banks struck out four, while walking four on 94 pitches.

The Titans outhit Wabash by a final tally of 13-8. Swanson led the offense with a 3-for-5 game at the plate, with a double and a pair of RBI. Bleker, Ping, Perona, and Willard each racked up two hits. However, the Green and White left 10 on base, compared to Wabash's eight.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 9, Wabash 12
In the nightcap, the Little Giants put up a pair of runs in the second inning to take the early 2-0 lead.

The Titans scored four two out runs in the third, aided by a Wabash miscue. With the bases loaded, an errant throw on a pickoff attempt allowed Ping to score. On the same play, the Little Giants took their time getting the ball back to the pitcher from centerfield. The delay gave Perona the opportunity to scamper home as he sidestepped the throw that was up the line to even the score at 2-2. After back-to-back walks to reload the bases, sophomore Keenan Burgos (Park Ridge, Ill.-Niles Notre Dame) delivered a two RBI single to give IWU the 4-2 heading into the bottom of the third.

The early back-and-forth action continued as Wabash scored twice in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 4-4.

Wabash took the slim, 5-4, lead in the bottom of the fifth.

IWU manufactured four runs that started with bases loaded and no one out, in the sixth, with four hits and a Wabash error. Bleker manufactured the tying run on a deep sacrifice fly to right that allowed Burgos to easily score as the score stood at 5-5. Another sacrifice fly by Ping gave the Green and White the lead, 6-5, as junior Dino Biggers (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) scored. With two away, Perona laced a double that allowed Willard to scamper home. Perona's base knock warranted a Wabash pitching change as the score stood at 7-5, in favor of IWU.

The pitching change did not slow down the Titan attack as Burgh delivered a single to score Perona. The lead stood at 8-5 as the game progressed to the bottom of the sixth.

IWU tacked on another run in the seventh on an RBI single from Gurgone to push the advantage to 9-5.

The Little Giants scored six runs in the seventh to take the 11-9 lead.

In the end, Wabash took both ends of the double dip as WC took game two by a final score of 12-9. 

Wabash outhit IWU by a final tally of 16-15. Ping, Willard, and Burgos each had three hits, while Swanson and Gurgone each notched two. 

Freshman Jake Pullam (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) got the nod on the hill. Pullam tossed three innings of work, allowed six hits and struck out four en route to earning a no-decision. 

The two teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow, Monday, March 27 in Bloomington. The game will mark the 2023 home opener for the Green and White with a 5:30 p.m. first pitch at Horenberger Field.

 
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