Lafayette, Ind. — Illinois Tech (2-3) faced a tough outing against The College of Wooster (6-2), falling 13-3 on Saturday, before coming up just short against Elmhurst (3-2) in a heart-stopping 11-10 finish later in the day. The Scarlet Hawks showcased some offensive highlights in both games, with three triples and a double against Wooster, and a dramatic ninth-inning rally against Elmhurst that fell just short.

How it Happened 

Against Wooster  

Illinois Tech got off to a promising start, with Tyler Gutsfeld leading with a triple and coming home on a groundout from Philip Bentz, putting the Scarlet Hawks up 1-0 after the first inning. However, Wooster answered back, scoring two runs in the second inning to tie the game at 2-2. Jack Friar hit a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Christopher Degroot in the same inning.

Wooster took the lead in the third inning with a solo homer, making it 3-2. The fourth inning was a turning point as Wooster piled on seven runs, aided by a two-run homer, multiple hits, errors, and a balk. Degroot's double brought in Friar, but Illinois Tech still trailed 10-3 after four innings. Wooster extended their lead to 11-3 with another solo home run in the sixth and added two more runs in the eighth, sealing the game at 13-3.

Against Elmhurst
The game started on a tough note for Illinois Tech as Elmhurst jumped to an early 3-0 lead, thanks to an RBI double from Rock Smith and an RBI groundout in the first inning. Illinois Tech got on the board in the second inning when Matthew Bove singled and was brought home by Quinton Riepl's double, trimming the deficit to 5-1 by the end of the inning.

Elmhurst pushed their lead to 6-1 with an unearned run in the third inning and extended it to 8-1 with a triple and a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The fifth inning was a turning point for the Scarlet Hawks, who exploded for five runs, with Riepl leading off with a single and contributing to the rally alongside Tyler Gutsfeld and Ryan Fostiak. Philip Bentz's two-RBI triple and Jack Friar's sacrifice fly closed the gap to 9-6.

Elmhurst widened the gap in the seventh inning with a two-run homer by Adan Nieves, making it 11-6. In the ninth, Illinois Tech mounted a thrilling comeback, scoring four runs, including three runs on a single from Christopher Degroot, but ultimately fell just short, with Elmhurst holding on for an 11-10 victory.

Scarlet Hawk Pitchers

Against Wooster, the Illinois Tech pitching staff had a challenging day. John Gori started, pitching 3 2/3 innings and giving up eight runs on nine hits, including two home runs, with three strikeouts. Andrew Stanislawski relieved him, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing three earned runs on eight hits, with two homers and a walk.

Against Elmhurst, Carson Weis took the mound for 6 1/3 innings, allowing 13 hits and 11 runs, striking out six and walking two, resulting in his first loss of the season. Joshua Lamberson came in for relief, delivering 1 2/3 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just one hit and striking out two.

Scarlet Hawk Highlights

Against Wooster  

Jack Friar  
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- Scored 2 runs  
- Hit 1 triple  
- Reached base on a hit-by-pitch  

Christopher Degroot  
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- Contributed 2 RBIs  
- Hit 1 double  
- Reached base on a hit-by-pitch  

Quinton Riepl  
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- Recorded 4 assists  
- Executed 1 independent double play  

Against Elmhurst
Philip Bentz  
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- 2 runs  
- 2 hits  
- 2 RBIs  
- 7 assists  

Ryan Fostiak  
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- 2 runs  
- 2 hits  
- 1 RBI  

Christopher Degroot  
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- 1 run  
- 1 hit  
- 2 RBIs  

Quinton Riepl  
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- 1 run  
- 2 hits  
- 1 double  
- 1 RBI  

Wooster's Key Performers 
Luke Rizzo  
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- Scored 4 runs  
- Collected 3 hits  
- Hit 2 home runs  
- Drove in 2 RBIs  

Koa Siu  
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- Scored 2 runs  
- Collected 3 hits  
- Hit 1 home run  
- Drove in 2 RBIs  

Dame Frayne  
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- Pitched 6.0 innings  
- Struck out 11 batters  
- Allowed 4 hits  
- Maintained a 0.83 WHIP  

Elmhurst Top Performers 
Adan Nieves  
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- 2 runs  
- 2 hits  
- 2 RBIs  
- 1 home run  

Rock Smith  
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- 1 run  
- 2 hits  
- 3 RBIs  
- 1 double  

Zach Konrad  
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- 3 hits  
- 3 RBIs  

Game Notes:
- The matchup against Wooster marked the first meeting between Illinois Tech and Wooster.  
- Illinois Tech is now 3-8 all-time against Elmhurst.  

Up Next
Illinois Tech will hit the field again at 11 a.m. CT on Sunday, March 8, for another game against the Fighting Scots in Lafayette, Indiana.