Wheaton, Ill. – In a dramatic battle marked by timely hitting and a late rally, Illinois Tech baseball walked off Monmouth College by a final score of 5–4 in Game 1 of their double header in Wheaton Sunday afternoon. In game two, the Scarlet Hawks had a less dramatic go of it, taking the lead in the first inning and never trailed en route to a 13-4 victory, and a double header sweep. The Scarlet Hawks open the season 2-0. The Fighting Scots fell to 1-3.
 
Game One - Illinois Tech 5 - Monmouth College 4

How It Happened

Monmouth set the tone early in the top of the second inning. Nathan Reed opened the scoring with a leadoff double to right-center. A sacrifice bunt and a passed ball allowed him to score, giving Monmouth a 1–0 lead. Illinois Tech answered back in the bottom of the third when Tyler Gutsfeld singled and stole second, putting himself in prime scoring position. After Michael Paxson was hit by a pitch and Lucas Waunn singled to move the runners along, Jonah Wilkes delivered a sacrifice fly, bringing home the first Scarlet Hawk run of the season to tie the game at 1–1.

Monmouth regained control in the top of the fifth. Gabriel Zeigler-Harris reached base on a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch. A groundout moved him to third before Clayton Matkovic's RBI single brought him home. The inning's momentum continued when a hit-by-pitch resulted in Monmouth's third run. Illinois Tech turned to Alejandro Garcia out of the bullpen to limit the damage.

Illinois Tech closed the gap in the bottom of the sixth. Freddy Swingle came off the bench and reached on an error to lead off the inning. After Tanner Jenkins took over as a pinch-runner, Josh Minami's single brought him home for an unearned run, narrowing the deficit to 3–2.

The tension escalated in the ninth inning. In the top half, Monmouth had an opportunity to put the game out of reach with the bases loaded and no outs. However, Garcia and the Scarlet Hawk defense held them to just one run, pushing the score to 4–2.
In the bottom of the ninth, Illinois Tech staged a memorable comeback. Matthew Bove drew a leadoff walk. After a flyout, Gutsfeld crushed a two-run homer to right field, tying the score at 4–4. The rally continued when Luke Yachnin stole second, setting the stage for Wilkes. Wilkes lifted a high fly ball to center field, where the outfielder lost it in the late afternoon sky, allowing Yachnin to score the game-winning run. The Scarlet Hawks stormed the field in celebration.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Tyler Gutsfeld – 3-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 home run, 1 stolen base
• Jonah Wilkes (DH) – 1-for-4, 2 RBIs, including the walk-off single
• Alejandro Garcia (P) – 4.1 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts (50 pitches), shutting down Monmouth's offense and securing the win

Monmouth Standout Performers

• Clayton Matkovic (LF) – 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, 1 double
• E. Zaayenga (P) – 4 innings, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts (no-decision)

Game Two - Illinois Tech 13 - Monmouth College 4

The second game of the doubleheader saw two freshmen play critical roles for the Scarlet Hawks, as right-handed pitcher Carson Weis and catcher Philip Bentz made impressive collegiate debuts. Weis earned the win, while Bentz collected three hits, drove in two runs, and caught a terrific game behind the plate.

How It Happened

Illinois Tech's offense dominated, capitalizing on early opportunities, aggressive base running, and defensive miscues.
The first inning set the tone. After two quick outs, Jack Friar drew a walk. Jonah Wilkes followed with a double, driving in Friar, and Philip Bentz singled to bring Wilkes home, putting Illinois Tech up 2–0. Meanwhile, Monmouth managed two base runners, but Weis escaped trouble with a key strikeout.

Illinois Tech continued its offensive surge in the second inning when Friar doubled to extend the lead. Monmouth responded in the third, taking advantage of a Scarlet Hawk error to plate two runs.
The game's pivotal moment came in the fourth inning. With Bove and Minami drawing walks to put runners on first and second, Gutsfeld launched a towering three-run homer to right-center, electrifying the crowd. The offense continued rolling, with Wilkes adding an RBI single and a stolen base, followed by a Monmouth catcher's error that allowed another run to score, pushing the lead to 7–2.

Illinois Tech added two more runs in the fifth, capitalizing on base running and defensive errors. Monmouth's Raul Guillermo hit a two-run homer in the seventh, but the Scarlet Hawks response came soon after
The eighth inning saw Paxson and Bentz deliver doubles, extending the lead again.  Gutsfeld capped off his stellar day in the ninth with a two-run single. Freshman reliever Gabriel Kotwasinski closed out the game, securing the 13-4 victory.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Tyler Gutsfeld – 2-for-5, 5 RBIs, 2 runs, 1 HR
• Jonah Wilkes – 3-for-5, 1 double, 2 RBIs
• Philip Bentz – 3-for-5, 1 double, 2 RBIs
• Carson Weis (P) – 5 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks (earning his first collegiate win)

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks will head to Bloomington next weekend for a four-game slate, playing two games each against Elmhurst University and Kalamazoo College on both Saturday and Sunday, March 8th and 9th.