MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team suffered a pair of losses Saturday Feb. 28 against DePauw University and Rhodes College at Stauffer Field in Memphis Tenn. The Titans (1-4) dropped game one, 12-5, to DU (3-1) and later fell, 18-6, to RC (5-2).

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan: 5 DePauw: 12

The top of the order provided much of the offense for Illinois Wesleyan. Sophomore Ben Ford (Naperville, Ill.-Waubonsie Valley) struck two hits which resulted in a pair of RBI's. Sophomore Matt Hudik (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central) also tallied two hits and scored a run in the top of the third. John Philip Ferraro (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) rounded out the top three with a multi-hit game and an RBI. Junior Luca Morelli (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Adlai E. Stevenson) drove in a run, logging a 2-for-4 performance. The Titans and Tigers collected nine hits apiece with IWU earning seven base on balls to DU's five. 

Senior Jake Pullam (Palatine, Ill.-Palatine) toed the rubber for his second start of the year. The right-hander started off strong, breezing through the first inning, and striking out the first two to start the second before stranding two runners on. A clean third would be the final scoreless inning of his start, as the Tigers tagged him for five runs over the next two innings to close the book on his start. Sophomore Brennan Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) was the first out of the bullpen going two innings, while giving up four hits and five runs, striking out three batters. Senior Nathan Waterman (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove) entered for the final two innings. In his first appearance of the year, Waterman finished two innings and allowed two runs on a home run. 

The Titans broke open the scoring in the third inning. IWU put runners on after a walk and a Hudik single before Ford sent a ball over the centerfielder's head for a two-out, two-run triple. After a pair of silent innings from the offenses, DU awoke its bats in the fourth. After a leadoff double, a pair of freebies set the table for a Max Bond grand slam. 

The following inning, Ferraro doubled to left to put the Titans within two, 5-3, but DePauw responded with three more runs in the ladder half of the inning. DU would add insurance in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings, as Bond drove in another run and a two-run home run from Louis Florida put the game out of reach, 12-5.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan: 6 Rhodes: 18

An 11-run second inning was too much to handle for the Titans as Rhodes coasted to an 18-6 win in seven innings.

After his College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Hitter of the Week honor, sophomore AJ Weller (Geneseo, Ill.-Geneseo) put the Titans on the board in the first inning. Hudik started the opening inning with a bunt which got snuffed out by the Lynx's third baseman. Ford followed by legging out an infield single before a senior Jack Flagg (River Forest, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) basehit. With two outs in the first, Weller strung together a quality at bat, fighting off pitches, Weller singled to left to score Ford for the first score of the game.

The IWU lead quickly evaporated as Rhodes started its offensive portion of the first inning with three straight hits, including a two-run home run. The big second inning started with a pair of base on balls sandwiched with back-to-back hits to grow the lead to 5-1. A slew of runs would follow for the Lynx as they posted 11 runs on eight hits to build their second inning lead to 11-2. RC enjoyed a three-run third inning and added another in the fourth for an 18-2 advantage. The Green and White put together a three-run sixth inning before falling in the seventh.

Illinois Wesleyan will turn the page to the month of March as they stay in Memphis for the second game against Rhodes tomorrow, March 1. First pitch is at 2 p.m.