McLean County Times

After senior day ceremonies, the Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) baseball team played a doubleheader against DePauw University on Saturday, April 26. Each team claimed a victory. In the first game, IWU achieved a shutout win with a score of 3-0, while DePauw secured the second game with an 11-3 victory. Following these games, IWU holds a record of 21-13, while DePauw is at 11-24.

In the first game, senior Tristan Figus excelled with a perfect 4-for-4 at-bat, contributing an RBI. Senior Jimmy Gurgone also performed well, going 2-for-4 and scoring twice. On the pitching side, junior Will Davidsmeier pitched seven strong innings, striking out seven and earning the win. Junior Luke Costello provided relief pitching to maintain the shutout.

The scoring opened for IWU in the fourth inning. Gurgone and Figus spearheaded the offensive thrust with successive singles, allowing Gage Wolfe to bring Gurgone home for the first run. This was followed by a fifth-inning play initiated by senior Cade Tomhave reaching through a fielder's choice, paving the way for singles by Gurgone and Casey Swanson, who drove in additional runs to solidify the 3-0 score, which lasted until the end of the game.

In the second game, freshman Cole Benson started as pitcher for IWU, pitching for four innings with two strikeouts. Other notable performances came from the bullpen, including seniors Brady Hartman, Luke Schwab, sophomore Marshall Ingold, and junior Cole Shamhart. Senior Justin Gadomski stood out at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, while freshman Matt Hudik added two RBIs.

IWU took an early lead with three runs in the second inning, capitalizing on walks and Hudik's timely single. DePauw countered by closing the gap in the third inning and took the lead in the fourth, securing a victory through successive scoring, culminating in an 11-3 finish.

IWU's season continues with a Tuesday non-conference game against Blackburn College. The game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. at Jack Horenberger Field.