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IWU baseball took down the Wheaton Thunder at home in CCIW conference play on April 21.
A Peterson Photo
4
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 15-19
3
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON 16-19
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
15-19
4
Final
3
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON
16-19
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 9 0
Wheaton (Ill.) WHEATON 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 9 2

W: Tomhave , Brennan (4-1) L: David Levengood (4-6) S: Elliott, Brayden (6)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Tomhave Tames Thunder in Baseball’s Win over Wheaton

Titans clinch spot in CCIW tournament

CAROL STREAM, Ill. - A strong start from sophomore Brennan Tomhave (Pittsfield, Ill.-Pittsfield) led the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team to a 4-3 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over Wheaton College Wednesday, April 29, at Pfund Stadium. 

IWU grows its record to 16-19 and 10-7 in league play. The win secures the Green and White's spot in the CCIW Tournament, with seeding still up for grabs. Wheaton falls to 16-21 and 9-11 in the conference. The Thunder will need help from either Elmhurst University or Augustana College for its season to continue with postseason action in Decatur, Ill..

Starting against Wheaton for the second time in a week, Tomhave gave the Thunder hitters fits all night long, going seven and a third, throwing 109 pitches. The righty fanned six, three looking and three swinging, and utilized a strong defense behind him, inducing three double plays. Five of his strikeouts came in a span of six batters through the fifth and sixth innings, shaping up to be the best start of his young career. The sophomore picked up his team-leading fourth win.

The underclassman duo of sophomore Cade Addis (Fairbury, Ill.-Prairie Central) and freshman Brayden Elliott (Gibson City, Ill.-Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) took care of the final five outs. Addis inherited a pair of Tomhave's runners with both coming around to score, but Elliott preserved the one-run lead for his sixth save of the year.

The Green and White was held at bay for most of the game, but a crooked number in the sixth was enough run support for Tomhave. Senior Gage Wolfe (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) delivered the big hit to secure his two runs batted in. Juniors Jack Novak (Mokena, Ill.-Lincoln-Way Central) and John Philip Ferraro (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) accounted for the other two RBI's. Sophomore Matt Hudik (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) recorded the lone multi-hit game for the Titans with two, but every Titan reached base safely, as eight-of-nine batters snagged hits. 

The Thunder broke up the pitching duel for a moment, striking first in the third. A pair of walks and a single into left loaded the bases for a sacrifice to put up the game's first run. Still twiddling with a runner in scoring position, Tomhave ordered up an inning-ending double play to get out of the jam.

The Titan bats could not capitalize on a couple of early opportunities, as they were silenced by WC's David Leavengood through the first five frames. The away half of the sixth opened with a single from the reigning CCIW Hitter of the Week sophomore AJ Weller (Geneseo, Ill.-Geneseo) and was followed by classmate Ben Ford (Naperville, Ill.-Waubonsie Valley) hustling out an infield hit. IWU knotted the score on a blast to left field from Ferraro that took a bounce and hopped over the wall for a ground-rule double. With runners in scoring position, Novak sent a single into left to score Ford, and advanced Ferraro to third, and himself to second on an error. Junior Luca Morelli (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Adlai E. Stevenson) grounded out with the infield drawn in for out number two, but Wolfe roped a two-out pitch into right to extend the lead to 4-1.

Five innings after scoring its first run of the game, the Thunder added two more to their total. A leadoff single started the home half of the eighth, followed by a flyout for the first out. The next two batters reached on a single and a walk to pack the bases full. WC cut the lead to 4-3 on a deep fly off the right field wall, but stranded the potential tying and go-ahead runs after a foul pop out and a groundout. Wheaton started the ninth with a hit bats man and moved him up 90 feet on a sacrifice bunt. Elliott got the next batter to groundout and finished off the threat with a strikeout for his sixth save of the year.

A big weekend looms for the Green and White with a three-game series against North Park University. Game one of the battle for second place in the league tournament will take place at 4 p.m. Friday, May 1 in Chicago. The two reunite the following day at Horenberger Field, as the Titans will celebrate senior day before the day's double dip.
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