RANTOUL, Ill. - The Elmhurst University baseball team opened the 2024 campaign Saturday afternoon, dropping a pair of games to The University of Olivet and Wisconsin Lutheran.

The Bluejays held a lead in both games, but were unable to hold on to grab a victory. 

On the day, Erik Malott led the Bluejays at the plate, going 6-for-9 with one RBI, while Javier Cervantes knocked in four runs on the day and Ryan Thrawl recorded a pair of RBI in the two games. 

GAME ONE | OLIVET 14, ELMHURST 4 (7 Inn.)

Elmhurst began the season with a strong top of the first offensively, with leadoff hitter Evan Johnson walking and Malott knocking a single to put two on with no outs. A hit-by-pitch from John Swiderek loaded the bases, still with no outs, and an error by the pitcher put Elmhurst on the board. A sacrifice fly followed from Cervantes, and the Bluejays led by a pair after one inning of play thanks to a 1-2-3 inning from starter Charlie Smith.

Both teams went quietly in the second before a leadoff triple and a single from Olivet in the bottom of the third cut the Elmhurst lead to one. The Comets would later take the lead off a two-run home run in the fourth, but the Bluejays would get back to work in the fifth. A Tommy Wichgers walk, Malott single, and Swiderek walk juiced the bases with one out, and with two outs in the inning Thrawl was hit hy a pitch, knotting the game back at three with the bases still loaded. A Cervantes single gave Elmhurst the lead back, 4-3, heading into the sixth.

Olivet would go on to score six runs in the sixth, and another five runs in the seventh to invoke the run-rule to win, 14-4.

GAME TWO | WIS. LUTHERAN 8, ELMHURST 5

Game two began as a pitchers duel, with Elmhurst starter Logan Leach tallying four strikeouts in the first four innings with both team's offenses unable to plate a run despite a few hits. The Warriors broke through after an error put runners on second and third, and a sacrifice bunt from WLC gave them a 1-0 lead through five innings.

Elmhurst would respond with three runs of their own in the top of the sixth, scoring off of a balk and a two-run single from Cervantes up the middle, handing Elmhurst a 3-1 lead. The Bluejays would struggle to keep the bats of the Warriors at bay in the sixth, as they would go on to score six in the bottom half of the sixth to open a 7-3 lead.

Elmhurst continued to fight, scoring a run on an RBI double from Malott in the seventh and a sacrifice fly from Connor Drowns in the eighth, but the Warriors added an additional run in the seventh and held the Bluejay bats silent in the top of the ninth, securing the three-run victory for WLC.

UP NEXT

The Bluejays have one game remaining in Rantoul, Ill. tomorrow morning, Mar. 3, with an 11:00 a.m. first pitch scheduled against Lawrence University. 

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