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Louis Perona vs North Park - 040223
Kodiak Creative
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5-13, 1-1 CCIW
6
Winner North Park NPU 7-14, 1-1 CCIW
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
5-13, 1-1 CCIW
3
Final
6
North Park NPU
7-14, 1-1 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 9 2
North Park NPU 0 1 2 1 0 2 0 0 X 6 8 2

W: Banks, Tyler (1-4) L: Cyrus, Jacob (0-3) S: Kalemba, Frank (1)

11
Winner North Park NPU 8-14, 2-1 CCIW
9
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 5-14, 1-2 CCIW
Winner
North Park NPU
8-14, 2-1 CCIW
11
Final
9
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
5-14, 1-2 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Park NPU 0 0 1 4 2 3 0 0 1 11 13 2
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 0 9 11 4

W: Ledezma, Julian (3-1) L: Pullam, Jake (1-1) S: Condit, Ethan (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Upended By North Park

Titans recorded three home runs in game two

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team concluded their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opening series against North Park University, Sunday, April 2 with a doubleheader at Horenberger Field. The Vikings' took both ends of the double dip with scores of 6-3 and 11-9. With the setback, IWU's record now stands at 5-14 (1-2 CCIW), while NPU's record jumped to 8-14 (2-1 CCIW). 

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 3, North Park, 6
With back-to-back singles to lead off the top of the second, junior Evan Hutson (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) capitalized with a line drive single to center to get the scoring started. The base knock allowed senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) to cross the plate. With the Titans still threatening, sophomore Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) reached on an infield single to second to generate IWU's second tally of the frame as sophomore Casey Swanson (Minooka, Ill.-Minooka) scored. After one and a half, the Green and White owned the quick, 2-0, advantage.

NPU scored four unanswered runs between the second and fourth innings to take the 4-2 lead as the game progressed to the fifth.

The Titans' threatened in the top of the sixth, but failed to push a run across. A leadoff single by senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood), followed by a double off the bat of junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) welcomed second and third, with no one out. After Swanson earned a walk to load the bases with one out, NPU got out of the inning with an infield fly and a strikeout to retire the side. After five and a half, the Vikings owned a 4-2 cushion.

NPU scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to expand their lead to 6-2.

With two down in the seventh, Perona notched a single through the right side, which allowed freshman Tommy Willard (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South), who reached on a throwing error earlier in the inning, to jog home to cut the deficit to 6-3.

The Vikings were able to thwart the Titan comeback efforts as NPU took game one by a final score of 6-3.

IWU outhit NPU by a final tally of 9-8. Ping and Perona led the offense with two hits apiece, with Perona, Hutson, and Figus tallying an RBI.

Junior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Lane Tech) earned the start on the bump for the Titans. Cyrus tossed four innings, allowing five hits, while being tagged for four earned runs and the loss (0-3). Freshman Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) had a solid outing out of the Titan bullpen by toeing the rubber for four innings, while allowing a pair of runs.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 9, North Park, 11
In the bottom of the first, Perona laced an offering and sent a two-run homer off of the scoreboard in left center field to push IWU out in front, 2-0. Perona's round-tripper marked his second of the season, good for a tie for the team-high.

NPU manufactured five runs, one in the third, and four in the fourth to take the 5-2 advantage.

IWU exploded for five runs, on four hits, to retake the lead, 7-5, in the bottom of the fourth. Junior Dino Biggers (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) recorded his first RBI of the season in the fourth, which allowed sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Monkena, Ill.-St. Laurence) to easily score. With the bases loaded, the Green and White capitalized on a Viking throwing error to push across another run to make the score 5-4. Ping then earned a four pitch walk to even the score at 5-5. With NPU going to their bullpen, Perona placed a perfectly executed swinging bunt to third base to give the Titans the 7-5 on Persona's third RBI of the contest. 

The Vikings' hit their second two-run homer in the fifth to knot the score at 7-7 and went on to grab the 10-7 cushion in the top of the sixth.

Leading off the bottom of eighth, Hutson clubbed his second homer of the year. After being down 0-2, Hutson found an off-speed pitch to his liking and deposited it into the trees in left. With the solo shot, IWU trailed by a score of 10-8. Just three batters later, Bleker took a page out of Hutson's book and also sent a solo round-tripper into the trees in left. The home run marked the first of Bleker's career and cut the deficit to one, 10-9, heading to the final frame.

NPU scratched across an insurance run in the top of the ninth to push the lead to 11-9. The Viking bullpen withstood IWU's last opportunity in the ninth to earn the 11-9 victory.

North Park outhit IWU by a final tally of 13-11. Perona set a new career-high with his 4-for-5 evening at the dish. Perona also tallied three RBI to top the team. Bleker had a solid nightcap by assembling a 3-for-4 contest, to go along with a pair of RBI.

Five Titans arms were deployed in the setback. Senior Aiden Smith (Marengo, Ill.-Marengo) got the nod and tossed four innings, en route to a no-decision. Freshman Jake Pullam (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) took the loss (1-1) out of the bullpen.

The Green and White will conclude their three-game home stand by squaring off with Monmouth College, Tuesday, April 4. First pitch of the non-conference game is set for 6 p.m. at Horenberger Field.

 
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