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Thomas Bleker Hitting Against Millikin on April 2, 2023
Kodiak Creative
0
North Central NCC 24-12, 12-5 CCIW
1
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18-20, 9-8 CCIW
North Central NCC
24-12, 12-5 CCIW
0
Final
1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
18-20, 9-8 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Central NCC 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 6 2

W: Waterman, Nathan (2-0) L: Lamm, Luke (4-6) S: Costello, Luke (1)

12
Winner North Central NCC 25-12, 12-6 CCIW
8
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18-21, 9-9 CCIW
Winner
North Central NCC
25-12, 12-6 CCIW
12
Final
8
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
18-21, 9-9 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Central NCC 0 4 0 0 2 1 0 2 3 12 16 0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 8 14 0

W: Rios, Justin (1-0) L: Carlson, Nate (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Splits with North Central to Conclude Regular Season

Posted first 1-0 victory since March 28, 2015 in game one

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With a spot in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament secured, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team wrapped up their regular season slate, Saturday, May 6, with a home doubleheader against North Central College, who is receiving votes in the top-25 poll. IWU spun its second shutout of the season in game one with the 1-0 victory. The Titans dropped the nightcap by a final score of 12-8.

After today's action, Illinois Wesleyan owns a record of 18-21 (9-9 CCIW), while North Central sits at 25-12 (12-6 CCIW).

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 1, North Central 0
IWU recorded three straight singles to lead off the game by senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood), junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech), and sophomore Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove), which loaded the bases with no one out to give IWU a golden opportunity. However, back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout thwarted the threat to keep the game scoreless after one inning.

The Titans cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the third on a two-out RBI by senior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West) to give IWU the 1-0 lead. Bleker laced a line drive right back up the box to score Figus, who drew a walk earlier in the frame.

With the Cardinals threatening in the top of the fourth with bases loaded and one out, freshman Nathan Waterman (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) induced a key inning-ending double play to keep NCC off the board. 

NCC manufactured bases loaded with two down in the sixth. On a full count offering, the Cardinal hitter tagged a sharp one-hopper to senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) at third. Burgh took one step to his left, dove, snagged the grounder and threw a one-hop to first to end the inning and to preserve the 1-0 lead.

Freshman Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) came out of the Titan bullpen and threw three perfect innings to earn his first-career save as he shut the door on the NCC comeback hopes. Costello struck out a Cardinal to end the game as IWU won 1-0.

The Titans outhit NCC by a final tally of 6-4. Perona led the charge with his 2-for-4 afternoon. Bleker recorded the game's only RBI in the contest.

Waterman earned the victory (2-0) with his three innings of work.

The 1-0 win marked the first time that IWU defeated an opponent by the score of 1-0 since March 28, 2015, against Elmhurst University. In the game, Gino Cavalieri recorded an RBI single in the fifth to push the Titans past the Bluejays.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 8, North Central 12
Illinois Wesleyan scored a pair of runs in the first. After a leadoff single by Ping, Perona torched an RBI double to give IWU the 1-0 cushion. Figus recorded a productive groundout to scoot Perona to third. Junior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) manufactured an RBI groundout to push the early advantage to 2-0.

North Central secured a four-run second inning to take their first lead of the day, 4-2.

With NCC looking to add to their advantage in the third, junior Luke Uhwat (Spring Grove, Ill.-Richmond-Burton) used a key 4-6-3 double play, with the bases loaded, to escape the jam.

The Green and White produced six runs on six hits in the fourth. Junior Evan Hutson (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) and sophomore Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) each produced singles to get the inning started. Freshman Jimmy Martin (Western Springs, Ill.-Fenwick) moved both runners with a textbook sacrifice bunt to turn the lineup over. Ping blistered a two RBI single to center to tie the game at four as Hutson and Gurgone both crossed the plate. The flurry of offensive action warranted a pitching change from the NCC dugout.

However, the pitching change did little to slow down the momentum. Figus earned a four pitch walk to load the bases. Cyrus found some green in the bermuda triangle between center, right, and second to push two runs across to give IWU the 6-4 advantage. 

After two more runs scampered home on a sacrifice fly on a single, the Cardinals went to the bullpen once again. Heading to the fifth inning, with a combined 19 hits in the first four innings, Illinois Wesleyan owned the 8-4 lead.

North Central cut into the deficit by scoring twice in the fifth and once in the sixth to make the score 8-7 as the game progressed to the bottom of the sixth.

NCC tallied a pair of runs in the eighth and three in the ninth to open up a 12-8 lead.

Illinois Wesleyan could not muster a comeback as North Central took game two by a final score of 12-8.

NCC outhit IWU by a final tally of 16-14. Five Titans clubbed two hits in the night cap, Cyrus led the team with three driven in.

Head coach Dennis Martel deployed six pitchers. Sophomore Nate Carlson (Palatine, Ill.-St. Viator) took the loss (0-1) on the mound.

The Titans will travel to Rock Island, Ill. for the CCIW Tournament. Augustana College will serve as the host for the four-day, double elimination, tournament. IWU will play on Wednesday against an opponent that is to be determined.

 
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