Verona, Wis. - A day that started out with an early morning arrival at the Keating Center for their bus ride to Wisconsin for an afternoon conference double header with Edgewood turned into a marathon day for Illinois Tech baseball. Due to rains that had soaked the Edgewood home field in Verona, Wisconsin, the team had to wait around to find out if they would play or if the games would be postponed. Ultimately, the start of the double header was pushed back from 1pm to 5pm, and when the last pitch was thrown, the Scarlet Hawks were able to salvage a split on the road, losing game one 7-3 but winning the nightcap 3-2. The Scarlet Hawks kept their NACC record even at 3-3 and moved to 7-12 overall. The Eagles are 4-2 in conference play, and 10-8 overall.
The Scarlet Hawks rode another strong start from Cameron Bracewell for the game two victory. Bracewell tossed seven innings of one run, three hit ball for his second victory of the season. Austin Richardson came on in the eighth inning for the save, pitching two innings of one run, one hit ball, and making a game-ending grab of a liner up the middle for the final out to secure the victory. Richardson, who earned his first collegiate save in the appearance, also recorded a win as the starter against Rockford earlier in the week. The Hawks limited the Eagles to just four hits in the nightcap.
In the opener, a five-run second inning by the Eagles proved to be the difference in the game, as the Scarlet Hawks could only scratch across solo runs in the first, third and fifth innings, while being held to just six hits by two Edgewood hurlers for the game.
Game One (Edgewood 7 - Illinois Tech 3)
Illinois Tech got on the board first in the opener, with Samuel Sproule delivering an RBI single to score Michael Paxson in the top of the first inning. Edgewood would respond with a five-run second inning that featured five hits, including two doubles, with three runs scoring with two outs for a 5-1 Eagles lead. A leadoff walk to Paxson in the top of the third inning turned into a run after an RBI single by Michael Lindenmuth, trimming the Hawks' deficit to 5-2. The Eagles would get the run back in their bottom half of the third on a fielder's choice RBI. After a pitching change for Edgewood in the top of the fifth inning, the Scarlet Hawks pushed through another run in the inning on a solo home run by Tyler Gutsfeld. But the Eagles would get a sacrifice fly RBI in the bottom of the sixth inning to close out the scoring in the game. Joseph Belflower(0-2) took the loss in four innings of work.
Game Two (Illinois Tech 3 - Edgewood 2)
The teams went scoreless until the top of the third inning, when Illinois Tech opened the scoring. The Scarlet Hawks took advantage of a lead-off walk by Matthew Bove, a Gutsfeld hit-by-pitch and a Paxson single to load the bases with nobody out. Bove would come around to score on a fielder's choice, and Gutsfeld via a sacrifice bunt for a 2-0 Hawks' lead. The Eagles finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly RBI. Paxson would get that run back for the Scarlet Hawks when he belted a two-out solo home run in the top of the ninth inning for an important insurance run. It was Paxson's seventh home run of the season, tying his career high set during his first-year season. That run would prove to be critical in the bottom of the ninth. The Eagles would score a run on a sacrifice fly with one out, but the next batter lined out to Richardson up the middle with a runner on first to end the Edgewood threat.Â
Scarlet Hawk Standouts(Combined Games)
Eagles Watch
- Xavier Schreiber 2-7 with 2 RBI
- Brevin Brisack 3-8 with 3 runs scored.
- Kody Kleve allowed just 1 run on 1 hit in 3 innings of relief in game one, striking out 4.
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks take a one-game detour into non-conference play when they host Wheaton College at 3:00 PM on Tuesday, April 2nd at Ed Glancy Field.Â
