BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Elmhurst baseball team dropped both ends of a CCIW doubleheader with Illinois Wesleyan University. The Bluejays fell 7-6 in game one and dropped game two 15-12 in 11 innings.
 
Elmhurst moved to 9-24 overall and 3-16 in the CCIW with the split. IWU stands at 18-15 overall and 11-8 in league play.
 
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 7, ELMHURST 6 (Game One) – Elmhurst rallied from a four run deficit but came up one run shy as the Titans defeated the Bluejays 7-6 in game one.
 
Elmhurst grabbed an early lead on a Jordan Scrimpsher single in the first, but the Titans answered back using a two-run single from John Bosco in the second to move in front 2-1. IWU took advantage of some Elmhurst wildness in the third as four straight walks forced in a run and the Titans drove in two more runs with groundouts to extend their lead to 5-1. IWU tacked on a run in the fourth to take a 6-1 cushion.
 
Chad Tucker singled home a run in the bottom of the fourth to move Elmhurst to within four at 6-2, but the Titans pushed home a run in the sixth to reestablish a five-run cushion. Tucker knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to bring Elmhurst to within four. The Bluejays mounted a rally in the eighth, as Tucker doubled home a run to start the scoring. Kevin Johlie drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run and Elmhurst added a run on a Titan error to make the score 7-6.
 
Scrimpher finished with three hits to pace Elmhurst at the plate. Tucker finished with two hits and a team-leading three RBIs.
 
Jay Palmer made the start and took the loss for Elmhurst. Palmer went 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and six runs. He walked five and struck out three.
 
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 15, ELMHURST 12  (Game Two) – Illinois Wesleyan scored three runs in the top of the 11th inning to finish off the doubleheader sweep with a 15-12 win in game two.
 
The Titans jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two runs in the first inning, but Elmhurst used a Titans' wild pitch in the first and a sacrifice fly from Thomas in the second to tie the score at 2-2.
 
IWU moved back in front with a run in the third, but Elmhurst used a big inning in the fourth, scoring five times to move in front for the first time. Thomas started the scoring with an RBI double. Trey Compton and Lorenzo Farino added RBI singles before Scrimpsher knocked in two runs with a single to give Elmhurst a 7-3 lead.
 
The Titans moved back in front in the seventh, scoring five runs on four hits to open up a 9-7 lead. The Titans scored runs on a walk, a wild pitch, two singles and a sacrifice fly. IWU's lead was short lived as Elmhurst answered back in the bottom of the seventh. Jacob McMillan was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Scrimpsher followed with a single and Tucker reached on a fielder's choice after the Titans' could not retire a runner on Tucker's sacrifice bunt attempt. After a fielder's choice forced an out at the plate, Drew Raspolich drew a bases loaded walk to force in a run. Karson Thomas delivered the big blow with a two-run single down the left field line. After a wild pitch moved runners up, Johlie drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to put Elmhurst up 11-9.
 
IWU responded with two runs in the top of the eight to pull even at 11-11. Elmhurst had a chance to end the game in the ninth, loading the bases with one out, but a double-play ended the Bluejays' scoring threat.  IWU moved back in front with a run in the top of the 10th, but Elmhurst answered back, scoring a run on a Titans' error to send the game to an 11th inning. Illinois Wesleyan scored three runs in the 11th to earn the win.
 
McMillan, Scrimpsher and Kledzik recorded three hits apiece in the contest while Thomas drove in a team-leading four runs.
 
Fred Birr took the loss in relief for Elmhurst, working three innings and allowing five hits and four runs (just one earned).
 
Elmhurst plays a doubleheader at Augustana College on April 30.