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Jalen Ping Hitting Against Millikin on April 8, 2023
Kodiak Creative
4
Blackburn BCBSB 7-30
11
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 16-20
Blackburn BCBSB
7-30
4
Final
11
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
16-20
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Blackburn BCBSB 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 4 5 2
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 0 0 1 1 3 4 X 11 13 2

W: Ralston, Josh (1-0) L: Peyton Blackburn (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Bats Come Alive Late to Push Baseball Past Beavers

Ping recorded key three-run homer in eighth

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With the regular season winding down, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team polished off their non-conference slate, Thursday, May 4, by squaring off with Blackburn College. After back-and-forth action in the first half of the contest, IWU welcomed seven runs between the seventh and eighth innings to secure the 11-4 victory. With the win, the Green and White's record upped to 16-20, while the Beavers ended their campaign with a clip of 7-30.

In the bottom of the first, senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) roped a single to left on the first pitch he saw. Ping then scooted to second on a Beaver fielding miscue to get himself into scoring position. Junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) followed suit by placing a triple in the right center gap as Ping jogged home. Just five pitches into the game, IWU held the 1-0 lead. With a runner on third and one out, sophomore Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) grounded out to drive in Perona as the Titans raced out to a quick, 2-0, cushion.

With Blackburn threatening in the second, Ping came up firing from his post in right field on a single and hosed the BC runner trying to score from second. However, the Beavers tallied an unearned run later in the frame to cut the deficit to 2-1.

In the top of the fourth, on back-to-back sacrifice flies, BC took their first lead of the contest, 3-2.

With two down in the bottom of the fifth, after a double by sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence), Ping tagged BC for a double of his own to tie the game at 3-3.

Again with two outs on the scoreboard, junior Evan Hutson (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) produced a key base knock to left center. The single gave IWU the lead, 4-3, in the sixth as senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) came around to score on the play.

However, the lead was short lived as Blackburn deposited a solo home run to left in the seventh to even the score at four all.

The Titan two out theme continued in the bottom of the seventh. Following a junior Dino Biggers (Naperville, Ill.-Naperville Central) double and an advance on a deep fly ball from Ping, Biggers raced home on a wild pitch to retake the slim, 5-4 lead. Later in the frame, with two on, junior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) notched a single that went right over the outstretched arm of the Beaver first basemen to knock in two big insurance runs. After seven innings of action, the Green and White took the 7-4 lead.

Illinois Wesleyan plated four runs in the bottom of the eighth. Senior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West) welcomed a double to get the inning started. Gurgone then torched a double down the left field line to push the lead to 8-4. Continuing his sensational night, on the first pitch he saw, Ping belted his first round-tripper of the year, which was a three-run variety. After the rocket, the Titans expanded the cushion to 11-4.

IWU's bullpen shut the door to preserve the 11-4 victory.

The Titans outhit the Beavers by a final tally of 13-5. Ping led the Green and White with his 3-for-4 night at the dish that included a game-high four RBI. Cyrus, Gurgone, and Biggers each assembled 2-for-4 evenings. 

On the bump, IWU used seven hurlers to cover the nine innings. Junior Josh Ralston (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) earned his first Titan career victory (1-0).

The Green and White will travel to Decatur, Ill. for a key College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest, tomorrow, May 5 to tangle with Millikin University. First pitch between the Titans and Big Blue is set for 3 p.m. at the Workman Family Baseball Field. 

 
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