JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Elmhurst University baseball team split an opening pair of games Saturdurday afternoon, defeating Illinois College 12-11 before falling to Loras Colege 4-14.

Elmhurst (1-1, 0-0 CCIW) opened the season with a high scoring, thrilling game against Illinois College, using a five-run ninth inning to take the season-opening victory. In game two against Loras, Elmhurst fell 4-14 after keeping the game close in the early innings
 

GAME ONE | ELMHURST 12, ILLINOIS COLLEGE 11

A high-scoring affair from the start, IC scored a pair of runs in the first inning and added a two-run home run in the second to open a 4-0 lead through two innings of play. Elmhurst began a rally in the third, with a walk, single, and groundout put runners on second and third with one away before a throwing error from the shortstop allowed Hafner and Keith to score, cutting the deficit in half. After another error from the IC left fielder put two runners on, Raspolich smacked a double to left field, scoring March and Bishop to knot the game at four.

Illinois College quickly retook the lead in the bottom half of the third on a leadoff solo home run, while the Bluejays stranded a pair of runners in the fourth and one in the fifth to keep the deficit at one through five innings. Elmhurst threatened again in the sixth, loading the bases with just one out, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat for the Bluejays. IC took advantage in the sixth, adding another run on an RBI single to extend their lead to two.

The Bluejays were able to regain their momentum at the plate in the seventh, leading off with three-straight singles to load the bases before a wild pitch tallied a run for Elmhurst. James then singled to left field to knot the game at six. Later in the inning, with runners on first and third, a groundout from Keith allowed the go-ahead run to cross the plate, with Elmhurst leading 7-6 entering the final two frames.

Elmhurst kept the momentum at the plate in the eighth, scoring another pair of runs to extend the lead to 9-7, before a three-run home run from Taller broke the game open, with the Bluejays leading 12-6 entering the bottom of the ninth. The Bluejays withheld a scare in the final inning, with a leadoff solo home run and a grand slam from Illinois College moving the score within one, but Keplar came in and shut the door with a strikeout to secure the season-opening victory for Elmhurst.

GAME TWO | ELMHURST 4, LORAS COLLEGE 14 (8 Innings)

Game two saw Elmhurst jump in front early from a March two-RBI double, putting the Bluejays up 2-0 through a half inning. Loras responded with a pair of runs themselves in the first, sending the game to the second knotted at two. Loras added another run in the second to lead 3-2, their first lead of the game.

Elmhurst was able to respond to the Duhawks in the third, with Taller knocking an RBI triple, with March backing up Taller with an RBI double to take a 4-3 lead through two and a half innings. However, it was all Loras from there, as the Duhawks scored three in the third to retake the lead, and another nine runs in the next five innings to end the game in run-rule fashion, 4-14 in eight innings.

UP NEXT

Elmhurst will take on Blackburn College in Virden, Ill. tomorrow afternoon, Feb. 26, at 12:00 p.m. CT.

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