ST. LOUIS, Mo. - After a tough loss to the Griffins (friday afternoon), the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team bounced back with a 3-0 win over the Pioneers of University of Wisconsin-Platteville. The Titans push to 1-1 on the season and UW-Platteville takes a step back with a record of 0-2. The Titans are two games into its three game weekend. Next up for IWU is the Dutch of Central College (Iowa). Game is set for 12 p.m. for a neutral site game in O'Fallon, Ill. 

Starting the Titans off strong in the first inning, junior William Duff (Western Springs, Ill.-St. Ignatius) put the Green and White up 1-0, scoring off a single from T. Figus. The Titans controlled the game defensively, not letting the Pioneers get into scoring position until the eighth inning. 

Still in the lead IWU extended the score gap between the Titans and the Pioneers. In the bottom of the sixth, senior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) was in scoring position with junior Justin Gadomski (Schaumburg, Ill.-Schaumburg) up to bat. Gadomski smashed the ball to right field to bring Perona in, bumping the lead 2-0. 

Continuing to stretch the lead, junior Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) put himself in scoring position when junior Casey Swanson (Minooka, Ill.-Minooka) singled to bring Gurgone in to score 3-0. 

Junior Dalen Banks (Springfeild, Ill.-Springfield) threw for eight innings and four strikeouts for the deserving win. Sophomore Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) closed the game for the Titans and pitched 2 innings to end the game for the Green and White. IWU had 10 hits to UW-Platteville's seven while Perona added the first stolen base of the season for the Titans. 

The Green and White will travel 30 minutes east to O'Fallon, Ill. tomorrow  Sunday, Feb. 25 to conclude the program's three-game weekend slate. Tomorrow's neutral site game against Central College (Iowa) is set for 12 p.m. at O'Fallon Family Park Complex.