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Matt Hudik catching a ball
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
11
Winner Wis.-Oshkosh UWO 4-4
8
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 1-12
Winner
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO
4-4
11
Final
8
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
1-12
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Wis.-Oshkosh UWO 3 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 5 11 16 1
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 1 8 14 0

W: Colton Kachinsky (1-0) L: Costello, Luke (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Baseball’s Late Lead Slips to Oshkosh

Series continues tomorrow, March 21, at 12 p.m.

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The first of a three-game series between the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team and University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh saw the two teams combine for 19 runs and 30 hits. A back-and-forth affair ended 11-8 in favor of the visitors at Horenberger Field. 

There was no shortage of offensive production in the game as UWO (4-4) grabbed a 16-14 edge. IWU (1-12) tallied 14 hits, led by three three-hit showings from sophomores Matt Hudik (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East), AJ Weller (Geneseo, Ill.-Geneseo), and Ben Ford (Naperville, Ill.-Waubonsie Valley). UWO's offense collected two more hits to finish with 16. The Green and White were spurned by missed chances with 14 left on base.

Sophomore Cole Benson (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) took the ball to start the series opener and pitched into the fifth inning, finishing at 4.2. The right-hander struck out two batters and let up four walks. He scattered five hits and let five runners come across to score. Senior Luke Costello (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) relieved Benson going the next four innings to save the bullpen for IWU. Costello gave up an early home run but worked cleanly the next three innings. The chapter closed on his outing with five hits and four runs. The senior struck out two and walked the same number.

UW-Oshkosh placed three runs on four hits to open the game. The visitors used a two-run double and an RBI single with two outs to climb ahead, 3-0.

The Green and White answered with a three-run bottom of the first. Hudik and Weller roped back-to-back singles and Ford took a full-count offering into left-center, as his triple to the gap brought in two. Junior John Phillip Ferraro (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) leveled the game with an RBI single. IWU drew a walk to put two on, but ground balls ended the inning.

The home team scored again in the second, this time taking the lead on a Weller drive to center. UWO responded with two runs in the third to reclaim the lead, 5-4.

Weller kicked off the bottom of the fifth with a four-pitch base on balls. Ford doubled to put two in scoring position and senior Jack Flagg (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) walked to load the bases. Junior Luca Morelli (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Adlai E. Stevenson) wore one to bring home a run and knot the game at five. Illinois Wesleyan appeared poised for more as the bases remained full with one out, but a popup and strikeout stalled the threat. 

After UWO homered in the sixth, Flagg opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to deadlock the score, 6-6. Junior Eli Keiser (Bloomington, Ill.-University High School) reached on an error and senior Gage Wolfe (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) singled to bring sophomore Michael Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central) to the dish. A fielder's choice resulted in a run, moving the home team back in front, 7-6, but IWU stranded two as the game went to the eighth. 

The Green and White's lead held into the ninth, where Oshkosh capitalized on a leadoff single along with a slew of walks. A one-out double tied the game before an RBI groundout pushed UWO ahead, 8-7. The visitors tacked on three more as a trio of hit by pitches extended the deficit to four, 11-7.

Down to its final at bats, IWU saw Wolfe and Hudik single as a rally began to brew. After a fielder's choice left runners on the corner, Ford punched a run-scoring knock to right which tightened the score, 11-8. Ford's single was followed by a Ferraro drive to left field which was tracked down to cap off the UWO win.

The series continues tomorrow, March 21, at Horenberger Field with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. Illinois Wesleyan and UW-Oshkosh will wrap up the series Sunday, March 22. 
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