Los Angeles, CA. — Illinois Tech Baseball dropped a nail-biter to Occidental College, falling 17–16 in a high-scoring showdown on Tuesday. Even in defeat, Illinois Tech showcased their offensive firepower with 20 hits and an explosive nine-run burst in the third inning.

How it Happened

The game kicked off with Occidental taking an early lead, racing to a 6–0 advantage in the first inning. Key moments included a single by Thomas Munch that brought Griffen Rogers home and a two-RBI double by Rogers himself.

Illinois Tech stormed back in the third, lighting up the scoreboard with nine runs. Quinton Riepl set the tone with a double and scored on a single by Jack Friar. Ryan Fostiak added a two-RBI double, while Philip Bentz and Christopher Degroot chipped in with RBI singles. A couple of miscues by Occidental allowed Illinois Tech to briefly snag a 9–8 lead.

The Scarlet Hawks kept the momentum going in the fourth, tacking on three more runs. Singles from Fostiak and Tyler Gutsfeld paved the way for Degroot's RBI via a fielder's choice. Riepl and Luke Yachnin each knocked in runs to extend the lead to 12–10.

In the sixth, Illinois Tech added another trio of runs, highlighted by Friar's two-RBI single and an RBI double from Fostiak, pushing the score to 15–12.

Illinois Tech found a little more in the seventh, taking advantage of an Occidental error to drive in Degroot and make it 16–14.

However, Occidental mounted a comeback in the eighth, scoring three runs. Evann Smith's two-run single and Jackson Short's RBI single put the Tigers back on top, 17–16 and win the game as the game was called due to darkness after the 8th inning.


Scarlet Hawk Pitchers

Illinois Tech's pitchers faced a tough day. Joseph Belflower started and lasted just 1/3 of an inning, allowing six runs on two hits, two hit batters, and a walk. Alexander Lazes stepped in for 1 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on three hits, including a home run, while striking out one and walking two. Andrew Stanislawski added 2/3 of an inning, walking three batters and allowing two runs without a hit. Joshua Lamberson provided some steadiness over 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits and striking out two. Cullen Fulling and Tommy Jewell ran into trouble, with Fulling giving up two runs in 2/3 of an inning and Jewell conceding three runs over one inning.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Jack Friar
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- 2 runs
- 3 hits
- 3 RBIs

Ryan Fostiak
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- 2 runs
- 5 hits
- 3 doubles
- 3 RBIs

Quinton Riepl
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- 2 runs
- 2 hits
- 3 RBIs

Occidental Top Performers

Jackson Short
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- 3 runs
- 4 hits
- 7 RBIs
- 2 home runs

Griffen Rogers
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- 3 runs
- 2 hits
- 2 RBIs
- 1 stolen base

Evann Smith
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- 2 runs
- 2 hits
- 2 RBIs
- 1 stolen base

Game Notes:
- This was the first meeting between the two schools.
- Ryan Fostiak recorded a season-high total of 5 hits.

Up Next
Illinois Tech is set to face Whittier College in their second matchup of the week, with the action starting at 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, March 18, in Whittier, California.