JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Elmhurst baseball team moved to 3-1 on the season after splitting a pair of contests against Loras and Eureka at Lenz Field in Jacksonville.
Elmhurst opened the day with a 13-2 win over Loras before dropping their first contest of the season, falling 5-4 to Eureka.
ELMHURST 13, LORAS 2 - Elmhurst continued its hot start with the bats, banging out 17 hits while scoring 13 runs in an 11-run victory over Loras.
Elmhurst scored four runs in the first, sparked by a two-run double from
Jordan Scrimpsher, to jump out to an early lead. The Bluejays never looked back, tacking on multiple runs in three different innings while coasting to the 11-run win.
Tyler Kledzik finished 2-for-2 at the plate and reached base in all five plate appearances. Kledzik tripled and doubled, scored three runs and knocked in three. He was also hit by a pitch twice and drew a walk.
Reagan McReynolds added three hits and drove in a pair while
Matt Wilson singled three times and scored two runs. Calvin Truong,
Jacob McMillan and Scrimpsher all knocked in two runs apiece.
Austin MacMillan picked up the victory from the mound, tossing 7.2 innings and allowing just six hits and two runs. He walked four and struck out one while recording his first victory of the season.
EUREKA 5, ELMHURST 4 - Elmhurst's rally from a 5-1 deficit came up just short in the team's first loss of the season.
Elmhurst fell behind by four runs but battled back in the eighth. The Bluejays loaded the bases with one out and a groundout from
Christian Ott drove in a run to make the score 5-2. Three straight two-out walks forced home two runs to bring Elmhurst to within a run, but a strikeout ended the Bluejays' rally. Elmhurst was retired in order in the ninth, dropping to 3-1 on the year.
The Bluejays were limited to just four hits in the loss.
Scrimpsher made the start and took the loss for Elmhurst. He allowed five hits and three runs over 3.2 innings of work. He walked five and fanned two.
Elmhurst travels to Westminster College (Mo.) for a three-game weekend series on March 10-11.