Waukesha, Wis. - Illinois Tech baseball opened their 2024 season with a tough 6-4 game one loss at Carroll University, followed by a lopsided 19-5 loss in game two as the Pioneers swept the Scarlet Hawks Saturday afternoon in Wisconsin. The Scarlet Hawks open the season 0-2. The Pioneers improved to 3-3.

Game One (Carroll 6 - Illinois Tech 4)
Each team scratched out a run in the first inning, with Tyler Gutsfield drilling a home run for the Scarlet Hawks and Joey Appino answering in the bottom half for the Pioneers with a home run of his own. The Hawks built a 4-1 lead in the top of the sixth after a Michael Paxson solo home run and a two-run single by Jack Friar. Carroll would get a run back in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single, cutting their deficit to 4-2. The Pioneers would draw even in the bottom of the seventh inning, scoring an unearned run on an error and getting the equalizer on a sacrifice fly. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with two outs and a runner on for the Pioneers, a single and a walk for Carroll loaded the bases, and Anthony Tado delivered a two-out, two-run single, putting Carroll in front 6-4. Sam Sproule would draw a two-out walk for the Hawks in the top of the ninth, but the Pioneers were able to secure the final out for the game one victory. Jack Niekrasz(0-1) took the loss for the Scarlet Hawks. Cameron Bracewell tossed six innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts. Friar was 2-4 with two RBI. Connor Blake was 2-4.

Game Two (Carroll 19 - Illinois Tech 5)
A Paxson home run with Gutsfeld on base provided the Scarlet Hawks with an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. But a grand slam and a two-run double by the Pioneers in the bottom half of the inning erased the Hawks early lead, with Carroll out front 6-2. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single for the Hawks in the top of the second inning pulled the team within two runs at 6-4. Unfortunately for the Scarlet Hawks, that was as close as they would get, as the Pioneers answered with a ten-spot in the bottom half of the second inning for a 16-4 lead en route to a seven-inning 19-5 victory. Nicholas Carillo(0-1) took the game two loss. Paxson was 1-3 with two RBI. Gutsfeld was 2-3 with an RBI. 

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Michael Paxson 2-7 with 2 home runs and 3 RBI.
• Jack Friar 3-7 with 2 RBI.
• Tyler Gutsfeld 3-8 with 2 runs and 2 RBI.
• Connor Blake 3-6 with 2 runs and 1 RBI.
• Cameron Brace with 6 innings of two-run, four-hit ball in game one, with 6 strikeouts.

Pioneers Watch

• Mason Hege 4-7 with 7 RBI.
• Dalen Lamberson 4-4 with 2 RBI.
• Nathan Crick 3-4 with 5 RBI.
• Jorge Rodriguez with 4 innings of no run, one-hit ball with 3 strikeouts.
• Connor Nolen with 1 inning of no-run, no-hit ball with 2 strikeouts for the game one save.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks and Pioneers will do it again Sunday afternoon in Waukesha, with first pitch for game one of a double header set for noon.