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Ethan Burgh Hitting Against Millikin on April 8, 2023
Kodiak Creative
12
Illinois College ICB 8-17
13
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 8-15
Illinois College ICB
8-17
12
Final
13
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
8-15
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Illinois College ICB 0 0 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 12 10 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 8 1 13 16 1

W: Cyrus, Jacob (1-3) L: Tory Wickman (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Rallies From Eight Down to Stun Illinois College

Scored eight runs in the eighth inning

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - From being down by eight runs in the eighth inning, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team recorded eight runs in the eighth, followed by a walk-off single in the ninth to stun Illinois College by a final score of 13-12, Tuesday, April 11 at Horenberger Field in Bloomington. With the remarkable comeback, IWU's record now stands at 8-15, while the Blueboys' record dropped to 8-17.

After a pitcher's duel the first four frames, IC cracked the scoreboard in the top of the fifth with six runs to generate a 6-0 advantage.

IWU tallied four runs, on five hits in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) led off the inning with a line-drive single to right field. The next Titan up, sophomore Cade Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) laced a triple to right center to get IWU on the board as Figus trotted home. Later in the frame, junior Nick Pratscher (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) grounded out, which allowed Tomhave to cross the plate. After senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on a Blueboy wild pitch, junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) roped a single through the right side as Ping scampered home to cut the deficit in half, 6-3.

Perona's base knock warranted an IC pitching change. However, the change did little to slow down the Titan offense. After Perona swiped second, senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) drove in Perona on a sharp single up the middle. After five innings of action, IC held the 6-4 lead.

The Blueboys record six, two-out, runs in the top of the eighth to take the 12-4 advantage.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Titans' bats exploded for eight runs, on six hits to tie the score at 12 all. The inning was highlighted by a sophomore Lukas Wenz (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) single to right center, which allowed junior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) to score the tying run. 

After a leadoff walk in the ninth by Ping, Perona scooted Ping to second on a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt. With Ping on second, Burgh only needed to see one pitch to send the Titan faithful home with a victory. Burgh blistered an offering to left center and Ping easily beat the throw to record the walk-off, winning run, for IWU as Burgh was greeted with a water shower in shallow centerfield.

The Green and White outhit IC by a final tally of 16-10. Burgh tied his career-high with four hits as he welcomed a 4-for-6 evening at the dish. Cyrus, Figus, Tomhave, and Wenz each recorded two hits. Three Titans notched a pair of RBI each in the contest.

Head coach Dennis Martel deployed six hurlers to cover the nine innings. Freshman Christian Schloneger (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) toed the rubber for his first-career start. Schloneger logged 4.1 innings of work, while striking out five and allowing just a pair of hits. 

Cyrus walked away with the victory (1-3) after throwing a flawless ninth to set up the walk-off.

The Titans will return to Horenberger Field tomorrow, April 12, for another non-conference contest against Knox College. First pitch between IWU and the Prairie Fire is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. 
 
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