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Casey Swanson Hitting (Used for April 28, 2023 Story Photo)
Kodiak Creative
5
Simpson SIMBSB 6-6
6
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 8-3
Simpson SIMBSB
6-6
5
Final
6
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
8-3
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Simpson SIMBSB 1 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 0 5 7 4
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 2 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 X 6 10 2

W: Costello, Luke (1-0) L: Jack Shaffer (0-1) S: Schwab, Luke (2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Comes Back to Sneak Past Simpson

Martel one away from 900 wins


DAVENPORT, Fla. - A three-run seventh boosted the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team to a 6-5 win over Simpson College Thursday, March 14, at the RussMat Invitational. With the win, IWU's record jumps to 8-3 and Head Coach Dennis Martel's career win total moved to 899, while SC drops to 6-6.

Simpson struck first with an early run on a RBI double in the top of the first, but sophomore Jake Pullam (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) settled in with a pair of flyouts to limit the Storm's lead to 1-0 with IWU coming to the plate.

Juniors Tyler Woltman (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton North), Justin Gadomski (Schaumburg, Ill.-Schaumburg), and Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) strung together three straight one-out singles to set the table for senior Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South). The senior laced a double to left-center to drive in two and put Illinois Wesleyan in front, 2-1.

An error by the Titans allowed the Storm to plate a run in the third, before Simpson reclaimed the lead in the fifth. A leadoff walk spurned the Titans as a triple brought in the go-ahead run, giving Simpson a 3-2 lead.

The one-run margin stood into the sixth, where the Green and White returned the favor. IWU plated the game-tying run on a SC miscue to level the game at 3-3. 

Simpson came right back though, using three hits and another error to plate a pair of runs to move ahead, 5-3.

IWU trailed into the bottom of the seventh, where the Titans rallied. Senior Louis Perona's (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) single with one away was followed by Woltman's base knock to put two aboard for Gadomski. After Gadomski's single drove in Perona, Illinois Wesleyan tacked on two more to take a 6-5 edge into the eighth.

Sophomore Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) worked his way around a one-out baserunner, before junior Luke Schwab (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) took over on the mound in the ninth. Schwab shook off a leadoff hit by pitch with a double play before finishing off the inning with a strikeout. The game-ending K stranded two to preserve the 6-5 IWU victory.

Costello went on to earn the win after 1.2 hitless innings, while Schwab nabbed the save.

At the plate, Illinois Wesleyan outhit Simpson, 11-7, with most of IWU's damage coming from the top of the lineup. Woltman pieced together a 3-for-4 showing with two runs scored, while Gadomski and Perona each finished 2-for-4. Cyrus led the team with two RBIs. 

The Titans will return to action tomorrow, March 15, for a 1:15 p.m. ET first pitch against Wheaton College (Mass.) on field six.
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