Fond Du Lac, Wis. — Illinois Tech Baseball (8-11, 3-3) showcased their strength in a doubleheader against Marian University (6-11, 1-5) on Saturday at the Fondy BSB Complex, winning the first game decisively 12-5 and then clinching a thrilling 9-6 victory in the second game.
Game 1 Overview
The Scarlet Hawks dominated the opening game, racking up 15 hits, including a pair of home runs, while the Sabres struggled with two errors.
How it Happened
Illinois Tech took charge early, with
Jack Friar tripling to left field in the first inning and scoring on
Philip Bentz's single. Bentz then stole home, giving the Scarlet Hawks a quick 2-0 edge. In the third,
Tyler Gutsfeld launched a solo shot to push the lead to 3-1. Marian's Danny Santiago answered with a homer, keeping it tight at 3-1 after three.
The fifth inning saw Illinois Tech widen the gap with three more runs. Friar singled and crossed home on
Ryan Fostiak's groundout, followed by another two-run blast from Gutsfeld, making it 6-3. The Scarlet Hawks broke it open in the seventh. Bentz singled and scored on
Jonah Wilkes' bases-loaded hit-by-pitch.
Quinton Riepl and
Jack Finch each added two-run singles, stretching the lead to 11-3. In the eighth, Fostiak doubled, swiped third, and scored on a Wilkes groundout, boosting the tally to 12-3.
Marian tried to rally in the ninth with Connor Schroeder's two-run double, but Illinois Tech's advantage was insurmountable, sealing the 12-5 victory.
Scarlet Hawk Pitchers
Cameron Bracewell was rock-solid on the mound, going the distance with 9 innings pitched, allowing 8 hits and 5 earned runs. He was sharp, throwing 104 pitches with 78 strikes, and impressively walked none. Facing 34 batters, Bracewell notched 2 strikeouts and posted a WHIP of 0.89, improving to 1-1 on the season with this win.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Tyler Gutsfeld
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- 3 runs
- 3 hits
- 2 home runs
- 3 RBIs
Philip Bentz
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- 3 runs
- 3 hits
- 1 double
- 1 stolen base
Jack Friar
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- 2 runs
- 3 hits
- 1 double
- 1 triple
Cameron Bracewell
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- 9 innings pitched
- 1 complete game
- 2 strikeouts
- 0 walks
Sabres Top Performers
Lucas Lemons
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- 2 runs
- 1 hit
- 1 hit by pitch
Jason Sims
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- 2 RBIs
- 2 hits
- 1 run
Connor Schroeder
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- 2 RBIs
- 2 hits
- 1 double
Danny Santiago
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- 1 home run
- 1 run
- 1 RBI
Game Notes:
- Team - Delivered 15 hits, outpacing their season average of 10.0.
-
Cameron Bracewell - Notched his first complete game of the season.
Game 2 Overview
In a hard-fought second game, Illinois Tech pulled off a thrilling 9-6 victory, with
Quinton Riepl delivering multiple hits to fuel the offense in extra innings.
How it Happened
Illinois Tech got off to a strong start, scoring two runs in the first inning.
Jack Friar's single to right field set the stage, followed by a single from
Philip Bentz that moved Friar to third.
Ryan Fostiak's sacrifice fly brought Friar home, and then Riepl singled to drive in Bentz, giving Illinois Tech a 2-0 lead. In the fourth inning, the Scarlet Hawks widened their lead.
Luke Yachnin walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error, eventually scoring on a fielding error to make it 3-1.
Illinois Tech tacked on another run in the fifth when Fostiak singled and scored on another Riepl hit, pushing the lead to 4-1.
Kendall Miyasato doubled in the sixth and scored on a Yachnin sacrifice bunt, increasing Illinois Tech's advantage to 5-1. The seventh inning was action-packed. The Scarlet Hawks added a run with a
Matthew Reilly double, but the Sabres answered with four runs, including a three-run homer by Randall Von Haden, narrowing the lead to 6-5.
Marian tied it up in the ninth. Marc Jones singled, moved up on a throwing error, and scored on a wild pitch, making it 6-6. In the tenth, Illinois Tech took command again. Yachnin walked, stole second, and scored on Friar's single. Through strategic plays and errors by Marian, Illinois Tech tallied three more runs, clinching a 9-6 win.
Scarlet Hawk Pitchers
The Scarlet Hawks' pitchers shone, with
Tommy Jewell delivering a standout performance over 6 innings, allowing just 2 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 2. Jewell's precision was evident with 73 pitches, 46 strikes, and no walks, maintaining a WHIP of 0.33.
John Gori provided strong relief, pitching 2 2/3 innings with 3 strikeouts and only one hit allowed.
Carson Weis closed the game with a hit less inning, striking out 3 and securing the save.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Jack Friar
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- 2 runs
- 4 hits
- 1 RBI
- 1.633 OPS
Ryan Fostiak
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- 2 runs
- 2 hits
- 1 RBI
- 1 stolen base
Quinton Riepl
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- 1 run
- 3 hits
- 3 RBIs
- 2 stolen bases
Luke Yachnin
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- 2 runs
- 1 hit
- 1 RBI
- 2 stolen bases
Tommy Jewell
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- 6 IP
- 2 hits allowed
- 1 earned run
- 2 strikeouts
Sabres Top Performers
Randall Von Haden
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- 3 RBIs
- 1 home run
- 1 run
Danny Santiago
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- 2 hits
- 1 run
- 1 RBI
Marc Jones
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- 2 hits
- 1 run
- 5 assists
Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech improved to 14-7 overall against Marian.
-
Jack Friar recorded a season-high 4 hits.
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks will host Milwaukee School of Engineering at noon CT Saturday at Ed Glancy Field in Chicago, Illinois.
