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Jacob Cyrus After Home Run on May 12, 2023
5
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20-22
4
Millikin MILLIKIN 26-17
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
20-22
5
Final
4
Millikin MILLIKIN
26-17
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 5 8 1
Millikin MILLIKIN 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 4 8 2

W: Cyrus, Jacob (3-4) L: Detmers, Drew (2-4) S: Costello, Luke (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Cyrus Shines in Baseball’s Win Over Big Blue in CCIW Tournament Elimination Game

Titans will play again tonight at 6 p.m.

MOLINE, Ill. - Behind the pitching performance, and bat, of junior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South), the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team eliminated three-seeded Millikin University in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament, Friday, May 12, to remain alive in postseason play. With the victory, the Green and White's record jumped to 20-22, while MU's season ended with a record of 26-17.

Wasting little time generating a lead, Cyrus belted a two-run, no doubt, homer to left that cleared the scoreboard, for his second home run of the year. Sophomore Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove), who singled earlier in the frame, scored on the play. Cyrus helped his own cause as IWU took the 2-0 first inning lead before the junior toed the rubber for his fifth start of the year. 

The Big Blue scored one in the bottom of the first on an RBI infield single to get on the board and to cut the deficit to 2-1 after the opening inning. Millikin tied the score at two all in the third on an unearned run. 

The Green and White sprung for three runs in the sixth to generate the 5-2 lead. IWU's first four hitters reached base, with singles from Figus, Cyrus, senior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West), and a walk from senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect). With the bases loaded and no one out, Bleker tagged an RBI single to give IWU the 3-2 cushion. Cyrus then read a ball in the dirt to perfection and raced home to just beat the throw from the catcher. Sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) followed with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-2. 

A Millikin solo shot in the sixth cut the advantage to 5-3. 

With MU having already pushed a run across in the seventh, Figus made a defensive gem to get IWU back into dugout with the 5-4 lead. A Millikin hitter put a check swing into play, Figus, not having time to make the transfer to his throwing hand from his second base post, glove flipped the ball to first to retire the side. Heading to the eighth, the Titans held the slim, 5-4, advantage. 

Freshman Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) entered out of the bullpen and threw the final two frames to earn his second save of the year to preserve the 5-4 victory.

On 116 pitches, Cyrus set a season-high with seven innings pitched. The junior allowed eight hits and surrendered four runs, three of which were earned. Cyrus earned the victory (3-4), while fanning six Big Blue hitters.

Both teams recorded eight hits in the contest. Figus, Cyrus, and Bleker each produced 2-for-4 games at the dish, while Cyrus led the team with a pair of RBI.

The Titans will play in another elimination game tonight, May 12, at 6 p.m. IWU will play the loser of Augustana College and North Central College. The AC vs. NCC contest is set for 2:30 p.m. this afternoon.

 
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