WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Elmhurst University baseball team dominated Wabash in a decisive 11-3 victory at Loeb Stadium for their first victory of the 2025 campaign.
The game saw Elmhurst break out offensively in the third inning with a seven-run surge, taking a lead they would never relinquish. Despite Wabash managing to score three runs in the fifth inning, Elmhurst added insurance runs in the fifth, sixth, and eighth innings to seal the win.
Elmhurst's offense exploded for 15 hits, with Rock Smith leading the way, going 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Brett Vercruyss contributed with a 2-for-4 performance, driving in two runs, while Evan Johnson added two RBIs. The team also capitalized on Wabash's three defensive errors, turning them into scoring opportunities. Logan Leach earned the win in relief for the Bluejays, allowing just one hit over 4.2 innings pitched.
The game started as a pitcher's duel, with both teams going scoreless in the first two innings. Wabash's Stratton held Elmhurst in check early, working around a hit in the first and stranding a runner in the second. Meanwhile, Elmhurst's Joseph Ingratta worked efficiently, retiring Wabash in order in the first and working around a walk in the second.
The third inning proved to be the turning point. Elmhurst erupted for seven runs as their lineup strung together a series of hits, walks, and capitalized on Wabash's defensive struggles. Smith started the scoring with an RBI single, followed by a two-run double from Vercruyss. Johnson added to the rally with a two-RBI hit, and a Wabash fielding error allowed two more runs to score, making it 7-0.
Wabash showed life in the fifth, cutting into Elmhurst's lead to 7-3. However, Elmhurst quickly responded in the bottom half with an RBI groundout, making it 8-3.
In the sixth, Elmhurst extended their lead further. A leadoff double from Smith set up another run-scoring opportunity, and an RBI single from Erik Malott made it 9-3. Wabash, meanwhile, struggled to generate any further offense.
In the eighth, Elmhurst put the game out of reach, adding two more runs on three consecutive hits, including another RBI double from Vercruyss.
Wabash had one last chance in the ninth but failed to put up a fight, going down in order against Leach, who secured the victory for Elmhurst with a dominant relief appearance.
UP NEXT
Elmhurst returns to action this weekend for a pair of neutral site games against Illinois Tech and Kalamazoo this Saturday and Sunday, March 8-9, in Bloomington, Ill.
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