BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Elmhurst University baseball team improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin after spitting a doubleheader at Illinois Wesleyan University.
The Bluejays dropped the opening game 10-3 but rebounded to take the night cap 9-5.
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 10, ELMHURST 3 (Game One) – Illinois Wesleyan scored three runs in the first and three in the third on route to a 10-3 win over the Bluejays in game one.
The Titans struck first with three runs in the bottom of the first for the early lead. Elmhurst took a run back in the third when
Kevin Johlie scored on a
Trey Romay RBI single. Illinois Wesleyan extended its lead to 6-1 with three runs and four hits in the third.
The Bluejays cut the deficit down to three runs with two runs in the fourth.
Lorenzo Farino started the scoring with an RBI double.
Jonathan Mays added an RBI single for the Bluejays' final run of the frame.
The Titans tacked on insurance runs in the fifth and sixth and scored two more runs in the eighth to pull away for the 10-3 win.
Johlie and Farino led the Bluejays at the plate with two hits apiece.
Jaysn Miller made the start and took the loss, surrendering nine hits and seven runs over five innings. He walked one and fanned five. Simon Hunter earned the win for the Titans, working six innings and allowing just six hits and three runs while striking out seven.
ELMHURST 9, ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 5 (Game Two) – Elmhurst scored the first five runs and held off a late rally from IWU to earn the doubleheader split with a 9-5 win in game two.
The Bluejays jumped in front in the third with a five-run outburst.
Tyler Kledzik started the scoring with a one-out RBI single. After a Romay double,
Paul Fomby singled home a pair of runs. An error on the Titans left two runners on base for the Bluejays. Farino made the Titans pay for the error with a two-run double to right center, capping the Bluejays' five-run frame.
Kledzik extended Elmhurst's lead to 7-0 by smacking a two-run homer to right in the top of the sixth inning.
IWU broke the shutout with a run in the bottom of the sixth, but Elmhurst pushed home a pair of runs in the seventh on a sacrifice fly from Farino and a Titans' wild pitch.
Illinois Wesleyan scored twice in the bottom of the eighth to make the score 9-3. The Titans added a pair of runs and stranded two runners in the ninth to give the Bluejays the four-run victory.
Kledzik led the Bluejays at the plate, finishing 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Farino also drove in three while collecting a pair of hits. Fomby and
Carter Truong finished with two hits apiece while Fomby drove in two.
Joseph Kalish improved to 2-0 on the mound for the Bluejays. He worked 6.1 innings allowing just eight hits and one run. Evan Hill took the loss for the Titans, lasting just 2.1 innings and allowing seen hits and four earned runs.
The two teams will play the rubber game of the three-game series tomorrow (March 21) at Lee Pfund Stadium at Legion Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
