The Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team won a close game against Illinois Tech on April 7, coming from behind to secure a 7-6 victory at Jack Horenberger Field. The Titans improved their record to 7-15, while the Scarlet Hawks dropped to 8-14.
The game was marked by strong pitching and timely hitting from the Titans. Sophomore Luc Lawler started for Illinois Wesleyan, pitching two innings and allowing one run. Seniors Nathan Waterman and Jake Pullam each pitched two innings in relief, with Pullam striking out four batters. Freshman Anthony Fry earned his first collegiate win after pitching over two innings, and freshman Brayden Elliott closed the game with his first career save by striking out both batters he faced.
Offensively, the Titans collected twelve hits compared to seven for Illinois Tech. Sophomore AJ Weller had three hits and an RBI, while junior Jack Novak extended his hitting streak to five games with a two-hit performance and an RBI. Junior John Philip Ferraro and senior Gage Wolfe also contributed with multi-hit games.
Illinois Wesleyan took an early lead in the first inning but fell behind as Illinois Tech scored runs in the second, third, and sixth innings to take a 5-2 advantage. The Titans responded in the sixth inning by narrowing the gap before tying and then taking the lead in the eighth inning through key hits from Matt Hudik and Weller.
In the ninth inning, Elliott entered after Fry allowed a walk with one out. Despite runners reaching second and third base for Illinois Tech, Elliott struck out two consecutive batters to end the game.
Looking ahead, Illinois Wesleyan will play again on April 8 against Elmhurst University at Butterfield Park in Elmhurst. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
