Chicago, Ill. - Across the highway from the campus of Illinois Tech, the Scarlet Hawks baseball team took on the University of Chicago Maroons at Guaranteed Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox in their annual Southside Showdown game. The Hawks (18-13) came out bats swinging, scoring seven runs in the first three innings. In the third inning, the Maroons (12-19) picked up their first runs of the game. As the night went on the Maroons would cut into the Hawks lead, at one point coming within one run. In the end, the Hawks would remain ahead for the entirety of the game, and win the non-conference Southside Showdown by a final score of 17-10. 

This marks the Hawks first win over the Maroons since 2014. 

Sophomore Tyler Gutsfeld extended his hitting streak to 15-games. 

Senior Samuel Sproule recorded his 30th stolen bases on the season with 5 stolen bases in Monday's game. Sproule has also recorded a hit 29-of-31 games this season. 

Illinois Tech 17 - UChicago 10

• The Hawks wasted no time getting on the board, picking up three runs in the first inning. With the first three batters, the Hawks filled the bases to begin the game. After Sam Sproule was walked, Tyler Gutsfeld made his way home for the Hawks first run of the game. Following a strike out, David Cooper was walked, bringing in Michael Paxson. Timmy Old then reached on a fielder's choice situation that allowed Connor Blake to score the Hawks final run of the inning. The first inning would end with the Hawks leading 3-0.

• Matthew Bove led off the top of the second inning with a double to right center field to get in scoring position. Bove then reached home when a hard hit ball by Gutsfeld allowed him to advance all the way to third base. A Paxson single through the right side brought in Gutsfeld during the following at bat. At the end of the second inning, the Hawks led the Maroons 5-0. 

• Continuing their hitting streak into the third inning, the Hawks extended their lead when Paxson hit a 2-run home run to left field, giving the Hawks a 7-0 lead. During the bottom half of the third inning, the Maroons picked up their first runs of the game. Braden Jirovec got the action going with a double to left center field, scoring two runners. Jirovec then made it home off a Will Benner sac-fly. At the end of the third inning, the Hawks led the Maroons 7-3.

• Following a scoreless fourth inning, the Hawks picked up one run while the Maroons scored two in the fifth. The Hawks lone run came off a Gutsfeld sac-fly to left field, scoring Jack Friar. For the Maroons, their first run came from a bases-loaded sac-fly by Richard Lu. The Maroons then picked up one more run off a Hawk error. At the end of the fifth inning, the Hawks led the Maroons 8-5. 

• In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Maroons would come within one of the Hawks. With bases loaded and no outs, Max Ting hit a sac-fly to center field, bringing in one runner. Then, during a ground out play, the Maroons scored one more runner for the inning. At the end of the sixth inning, the Hawks led the Maroons 8-7. 

• After a scoreless seventh inning, both teams would go on to record runs in the eighth. A Michael Lindenmuth single down the right field line scored Sproule for the first run of the inning. Then, with bases loaded and one out, Lindenmuth scored when Friar reached on a Maroon error. Lucas Waun then scored the Hawks final run of the inning as the bases were still loaded when Bove was walked. The Maroons would go on to record two runs in the bottom portion of the inning. At the end of the eighth inning, the Hawks led the Maroons 11-9

• In the final inning of the game, the Hawks would go on to record 6 runs while the Maroons picked up one. Lucas Waunn brought in the first runner as he was walked in a bases loaded situation with no outs. On a Luke Yachnin sac-fly to right field, Sproule scored. In another bases loaded situation, Bove was walked, scoring Michael Lindenmuth. Gutsfeld then stepped up to bat and hit a bases clearing double down the right field line. During the Maroons at-bat, their final run of the game came off a wild pitch. After the final out, the Hawks recorded a 17-10 non-conference win over the Maroons.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Tyler Gutsfeld - 1-for-3 with a double, 3 RBIs, and 3 runs

• Michael Paxson - 3-for-7 with a home run, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, and a stolen base

• Samuel Sproule - 2-for-3 with 1 RBI, 2 runs, and 5 stolen bases

• Matthew Bove - 1-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs, and 2 runs. 

• Mason Kim - Winning pitcher with 1.2 innings pitched. Allowed 2 runs on one hit while striking out 3. 

Up Next

The Hawks will now finish out the rest of their 2024 season with Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. The Hawks will travel to River Forest, Ill. on Wednesday, April 24th to take on the Concordia University of Chicago Cougars in double header action. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 12:00 PM.