BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Wesleyan came from behind in both games Saturday to sweep a doubleheader from Augustana 9-4 and 9-6 at Horenberger Field. The 24th-ranked Vikings moved to 18-5 overall and 10-5 in the CCIW, while the Titans improved to 15-11 and 10-8, respectively. The teams will complete their three-game weekend series with a single game on Sunday, April 18 at Swanson Stadium/Brunner Field.
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 9, AUGUSTANA 4
Augustana couldn't hold on to an early 4-0 lead in the opener.
Jacob Barker (Windsor HS, Severance, Colo.) led off the game by reaching on an error and later scored on
Mitchell Owens' (Moline HS, Moline, Ill.) RBI single to center. With two outs in the Viking second,
Zachary Vrbancic (Stagg HS, Palos Hills, Ill.) singled to right, stole second and came around to score on a Barker single to make it 2-0.
In the third, Owens had a leadoff single off IWU starter Hunter Simon and
Matt Ozanic (East Leyden HS, Franklin Park, Ill.) was hit by a pitch. The runners moved to second and third on
Brett Benedetti's (Cherry Creek HS, Greenwood Village, Colo.) sacrifice bunt and
Chase Maifield (Grant HS, Round Lake, Ill.) followed with a two-run single to center to make 4-0 Augustana after 2½.
The Titans began to chip away against starter
Matt Hoban (Monarch HS, Westminster, Colo.) in their half of the third. A single and an error preceded Evan Ranneklev's two-run triple to right center. Jared Mutter followed with a groundout that plated Ranneklev, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Jacob Cyrus led off the bottom of the sixth with a single to left. Hoban retired the next two batters, but walked pinch-hitter Dino Biggers and after a passed ball, gave up a two-run single to Dan Cerniglia, as IWU grabbed a 5-4 lead.
The hosts broke it open with four unearned runs against
Jacob Reusch (Mercer County HS, Aledo, Ill.) in the seventh. Ethan Burgh had a two-run single in the frame and Cernigilia added a run-scoring hit.
Simon settled in and held the Vikings in check through the eighth. Cooper Kraft pitched around a one-out walk to Vrbancic in the ninth to close things out. Simon scattered 10 hits and moved to 3-1 with the win. Hoban lasted six innings and suffered his second loss against three wins.
Vrbancic finished 3-for-3, Owens 3-for-4 and Barker 3-for-5.
ILLINOIS WESLEYAN 9, AUGUSTANA 6
Augustana had leads of 2-0 and 5-3 in the nightcap, but the Titans scored six of the last seven runs in the contest.
Michael Gattuso (St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, Ill.) singled with one out in the top of the second, stole second and eventually scored on Vrbancic's single to left center.
Alex Simon (Hinsdale Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) later plated Vrbancic with a single to make it 2-0 Vikings.
IWU tallied three against
Harrison Boushele (Grandview HS, Aurora, Colo.) in the bottom of the second, drawing a pair of bases-loaded walks and getting a run-scoring fielder's choice f the bat of Ranneklev.
Ozanic's leadoff single sparked a three-run Augustana third. He scored the tying run on a throwing error and Gattuso's RBI groundout scored Benedetti with the go-ahead run. Vrbanic's double to left center brought home
Alec McGinnis (Normal West HS, Normal, Ill.) to make it 5-3.
Ranneklev had a two-run double as the Titans scored three in the fourth to retake the lead. They added a run in the fifth on Collins Elvers' RBI single and two more in the seventh.
Owens singled in a run in the Augustana sixth, but the Vikings left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
Kraft retired the side in order in the top of the ninth to preserve the win.
IWU starter Matt Blaney (1-1) was the winner and Boushele (2-2) took the loss.
Ozanic went 3-for-4, while Owens, McGinnis and Vrbancic were all 2-for-5. Vrbancic drove in two runs.
