Five Players Tab Two Hits to Push Baseball Over Sewanee

Five Players Tab Two Hits to Push Baseball Over Sewanee | https://www.iwusports.com/

By McLean County Times reports

Mar 25, 2023

Five Players Tab Two Hits to Push Baseball Over Sewanee

Using a nine-run third inning, the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team defeated Sewanee University by a final score of 10-6 Friday, March 17, in Millington, Tenn. With the win, IWU's record now stands at 4-7, while Sewanee's record sits at 11-8-1.

Notching his first-career start behind the plate for the Green and White, senior Jalen Ping (Chatham, Ill.-Glenwood) made his presence known early. With a runner on first in the opening frame, Ping threw a dart to sophomore secondbasemen Jimmy Gurgone (Mokena, Ill.-St. Laurence) who tagged out a Tiger trying to steal.

However, Sewanee utilized a two-out double to snag the early, 1-0, lead after the first half inning of play.

In the bottom of the first, Ping launched a double into the right-center gap. With one out, junior Louis Perona (Chicago, Ill.-Lane Tech) sent an outside offering that landed right on the left field line for back-to-back doubles that allowed Ping to cross the plate to even the score at one.

Sewanee retook the lead, 2-1, in the top half of the second on back-to-back doubles.

The Titan offense exploded for nine runs on six hits in the third to welcome a 10-2 advantage. Continuing his stellar afternoon, Ping tripled to deep right center. Senior Thomas Bleker (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West), who walked to lead off the inning, scored on Ping's triple. A Tiger throwing error, in an attempt to cut down Ping heading to third, shorthopped the third baseman and landed in the dugout, allowing Ping to walk home. After the hit and error, the Titans took back the lead, 3-2.

IWU tallied seven more in the third as senior Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) and sophomore Keenan Burgos (Park Ridge, Ill.-Niles Notre Dame) recorded RBIs to push the score to 5-2. Coming in as a defensive replacement earlier in the contest, junior Nick Pratscher (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) drove a two RBI base knock to push the score to 7-2. Entering as a pinch hitter, sophomore Trisitan Figus (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Buffalo Grove) placed a double down the right field line that also drove in a pair. To cap off the inning, Ping notched a sacrifice fly to expand the lead to 10-2, heading to fourth.

Sewanee scored two runs in the top of the sixth to cut the deficit to 10-4. A Tiger ninth inning home run cut the lead to 10-6.

The Titans were able to end the late threat, as the Titans won the contest by a final score of 10-6.

Sophomore Dalen Banks (Springfield, Ill.-Springfield) got the nod on the bump. Banks tossed six innings of work, which marked his third outing of six-plus innings thus far. The sophomore allowed nine hits on four runs, while striking out four to boost his record to 3-0.

Both teams recorded 13 hits. Figus, Ping, Perona, Burgh, and Gurgone each notched two hits. Additionally, Figus, Ping, and Pratscher recorded a pair of RBI in the contest to lead IWU.

The Titans will conclude the program's spring trip, tomorrow, as IWU will make the 30-minute drive to Memphis to tangle with Rhodes College. First pitch between the Titans and Lynx is set for noon at Stauffer Field.