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Gurgone fielding the ball
13
Winner Otterbein Uni OTTBB 4-5
7
Illinois Wesleyan IWU 3-4
Winner
Otterbein Uni OTTBB
4-5
13
Final
7
Illinois Wesleyan IWU
3-4
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Otterbein Uni OTTBB 4 1 0 0 0 2 4 0 2 13 19 4
Illinois Wesleyan IWU 0 1 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 7 13 3

W: Brady Heagen (1-0) L: Hartman, Brady (1-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball Bested by Otterbein on Day One of Spring Break

IWU takes on Baruch, tomorrow

FORT MYERS, Fla. - With 82 degrees and sun in the weather forecast, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team kicked off the Gene Cusic Classic against Otterbein University, Sunday, March 9. IWU fell to OU 13-7, sinking the Titans record to 3-4 and improving the Cardinals record to 4-5. 

The Titans let up four runs in the top of the first to put themselves down 4-0. The Green and White let one more go in the top of the second to put the Cardinals up 5-0 going into the bottom of the second. 

The bottom of the second saw junior Jack Flagg (River Forest, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) run around the bases to put IWU on the board. Flagg started with a single to left field to put IWU on base. Junior Gage Wolfe (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) bunted on the next at bat and got to first before the ball to advance Flagg to second. An error from the first baseman showed Flagg an opportunity to score, as he ran home to make it 5-1, Cardinals. 

Two errors for OU helped Illinois Wesleyan continue to climb the board. Senior Cade Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) got on base by means of a walk. Fellow senior Tyler Woltman (Wheaton, Ill.-Wheaton North) was up next to bat and got on base by means of an outfield miscommunication error, followed by a third baseman error to put senior Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) on base. With bases loaded and sophomore John Philip Ferraro (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) up to bat, the Cardinals pitcher walked Ferraro to bring the Titans in for another run, bringing the score to 5-2, in favor of Otterbein. 

Wolfe was up to bat with bases loaded and struck a dagger to right field to put both Gurgone and Woltman at home. The Cardinals held a slim lead going into the bottom of the third, 5-4. 

A 1-2-3 in the top of the fourth put the Titans in position to make a run but Otterbein's relief pitcher stalled the Green and White from scoring in the bottom of the fourth. 

IWU was able to take the lead in the fifth with Gurgone and Flagg rounding the bases. Sophomore Jack Novak (Mokena, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central)  took a swing and fired it down the left line to left Gurgone run in from second and Flagg run in from first. One at-bat later, senior Tristan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) reached on a ball back to the pitcher, scoring Figus to take a 7-5 lead.

OU was able to put two more on the board to tie it up at sevens, ending the top of the sixth. 

The Titans could not climb back after letting up six more runs to end the game 13-7, with OU taking the win. 

Senior Justin Gadomski (Schaumburg, Ill.-Shaumburg) and Gurgone both hit for .500 with Gadomski hitting 3-for-6 and Gurgone hitting 2-for-4. The Titans finished with 13 hits on the game and ended with three errors.

Illinois Wesleyan will take on a doubleheader against Baruch College Monday, March 10 at 10 a.m. ET and 2 p.m. ET at Terry Park's Stadium.
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