JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Elmhurst baseball team split a pair of games to move to 4-1 on the season. 

Elmhurst 10, UW-Platteville 9
Elmhurst scored four in the fourth and three in the sixth before holding off a late UW-Platteville run in a 10-9 victory. 

In the ninth, Ben Modesitt entered the game with a one-run advantage. The Bluejay walked the first two Pioneers to put runners on first and second with nobody out. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Modesitt settled down, forcing a lineout to third and a groundout to second base, clinching the victory.

UW-Platteville (0-1) put up two runs in the first inning on a George Jester III double, taking an early 2-0 lead. Elmhurst's Austin MacMillan chipped into the deficit with a home run down the right-field line in the second. The Bluejays then took the lead with two runs in the third. Three straight Bluejays singled to open the inning and Conroy scored the tying run when Kressner hit into a double play. Havel then gave Elmhurst the lead by shooting a single to right, scoring Trey Compton. 

UW-Platteville fought back with three runs in the fourth, but its lead was short lived as Elmhurst scored four times in the bottom of the inning. Chris Eberhart doubled to right field, which scored A.J. Compton and cut the deficit to 5-4. With the bases loaded, McReynolds singled through the right side and Eberhart crossed the plate to tie the score. Kressner then knocked in Conroy by reaching on a fielder's choice. With two away in the inning, Havel singled to center field, plating Trey Compton and putting the Bluejays ahead 7-5. 

The Pioneers tied the score at seven in the sixth, but Elmhurst once again answered as Kressner plated another run by reaching on a fielder's choice and then Struck blasted Elmhurst second home run of the day, a two-run shot to right field. 

Trailing 10-7, UW-Platteville made it a one-run game with two in the eighth, but Elmhurst pitching stranded four runners, including three in scoring position, in the last two frames. 

Havel led the Bluejays with three RBIs, while Kressner and Struck each added two. Reagan McReynolds and Trey Compton both recorded three hits, while Trey Compton scored three runs. 

Elmhurst starter Mike Rostine pitched four innings, allowing five runs and fanning five, while Kiko Mari was awarded the win, tossing three innings, giving up four runs, and striking out four. Daryl Rivera helped Mari escape further damage in the eighth, while Modesitt closed the door in the ninth to notch his second save. 

MSOE 6, Elmhurst 4
Elmhurst (4-1) brought the winning run to the plate in the ninth, but MSOE (5-4) held on to hand the Bluejays their first loss of the season.  

The teams traded runs in the first inning. The Engineers' Tyler Doyle hit a solo shot to left field and the Bluejays' Kressner crossed the plate after Matt Wilson was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. 

The Bluejays took a brief lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI double by Kressner. MSOE brought the game even again in the third inning, but Elmhurst starter Ryan Millan stranded the bases loaded to escape further damage. After a bases-loaded walk plated an unearned run, Millan forced Jimmy Carrington to ground into an inning-ending fielder's choice. 

MSOE scored two runs in the fourth to take a lead they would not relinquish. Millan finished the game allowing four runs (three earned) and six hits in five innings. He also struck out four. 

The Engineers padded their lead with two more runs off of Elmhurst reliever Justin Luzzi in the eighth. Luzzi finished with 2.1 innings pitched and struck out three. 

Trailing by four in the eighth, Elmhurst looked primed for a comeback with the bases loaded and one out. The Bluejays could only plate one in the inning, on a Kressner ground out to second. Once again Elmhurst threatened in the ninth. A.J. Compton doubled and came around to score when Wilson reached on an error. With the score not 6-4, Pickard walked to bring the winning run to the plate, but Christian Ott struck out and Evan Berliner grounded out to second to close out the game. 

A.J. Compton finished with three hits, while Kressner recorded two more RBIs to put his total on the day at four. 

Elmhurst faced Northland College on Saturday, March 12 at 4:00 p.m.