Cole Benson Baseball Story Photo 3/7/2026

ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO

Baseball Drops Two at WashU

Final game of the series set for Sunday, March 8 at 12 p.m.

3/7/2026 5:25:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team experienced a doubleheader sweep from No. 12 Washington University in St. Louis, Saturday March 7, at Kelly Field, behind scores of 17-1 and 3-1. IWU takes a step back to 1-7 as WashU improves its undefeated season to 8-0.

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan 1, WashU, 17

Senior Jake Pullam (Pallatine, Ill.-Palatine) started on the rubber pitching 2.1 innings and allowing seven runs on four hits. Pullam recorded a strikeout and let up four walks with four hit by pitches. Freshman Myles Hammond (Shelbyville-Lakewood, Ill.) relieved him, but only recorded two outs for the Titans and allowed five runs. Senior Nathan Waterman (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South), sophomore Luc Lawler (Naperville, Ill-Benet Academy) and freshman Brayden Elliott (Gibson City, Ill.-Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) each worked an inning to cap off game one. The Green and White's offense tallied five outs and suffered 11 strikeouts.

Game one was controlled by the Bears as they hopped on top early with a run in the first. Free passes from Pullam set the table for WashU as a two-out walk and a hit by pitch led to the first run of the game. WashU added to its advantage an inning later thanks to a free pass with the bases loaded, followed by a two-out three-RBI double to make it 5-0. The Bears blew the game wide open in the third inning with seven runs on seven hits. They added two more runs in the fourth inning and finished off their scoring with two more in the bottom of the sixth.

Illinois Wesleyan scored its lone run of the game in the fifth inning. Junior Eli Kieser (Normal, Ill.-University High School) started the inning with a double, squeezing it down the left field line. A pair of walks from the senior duo of Gage Wolfe (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) and Tommy Willard (Downers Grove, Ill.-Downers Grove South) loaded the bases. Sophomore Ben Ford (Naperville, Ill.-Waubonsie Valley) drove in Kieser on a sacrifice fly to avoid the shutout.

Game Two: Illinois Wesleyan 1, WashU, 3

Sophomore Cole Benson (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) took to the rubber as the Titans looked to salvage a game in the doubleheader. Benson delivered his best start of the year going 5.0 innings throwing 102 pitches. The right-hander let up just three runs off six hits, but let five runners get on base via walks.

Benson flirted with trouble in the first, letting up two hits and a hit by pitch to load the bases. A two-out flyout left the Bears with three runners on, but more would fill the bases again the next inning. A one-out double would get the Bears in position in the second. A groundball out moved the runner to third and a wild pitch from the right-hander would bring him in to make it 1-0 in favor of the home team.

Benson, working into the sixth inning, gave up a leadoff walk but retired the next batters. Another walk gave the Bears two baserunners, and a triple brought in both runners to advance the WashU lead to 3-0.

Illinois Wesleyan's bats were held scoreless until the bottom half of the inning. A two-out walk plagued the home team this time as junior John Phillip Ferraro (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) was the benefactor of the free pass. A wild pitch moved him into scoring position for senior Jack Flagg (River Forest, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) who drove a ball into center for a two-out two-bagger to bring home the Titans' first run.

In the ninth, sophomore Joel Strand (Ridgefield, Conn.-Greens Farms) doubled with two-outs to give the Titans hope. With a 3-2 count on junior Jack Novak (Mokena, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central), Novak took strike three to close out the game.

That's all the scoring the Green and White could muster up. Flagg's hit was accompanied by two more for three total IWU hits. The Titans were able to string together three walks to keep traffic on the base paths.

Illinois Wesleyan and WashU will resume the three-game set tomorrow, March 8. First pitch will take place at 12 p.m. in St. Louis, Mo.

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