Chicago, IL — Illinois Tech Baseball (14-16, 9-7) celebrated the life and career of former head coach Jim Darrah with his family in a recognition ceremony between games of a doubleheader sweep of Lakeland University (10-22, 3-13). A decisive 13-5 victory in the first game set the table for a solid 6-1 win in the second concluding successful day for past and present Scarlet Hawks.
How it Happened
In the first game, Illinois Tech took an early lead when
Jack Friar singled, advanced on
Quinton Riepl's double, and scored on an error, making it 1-0. The Scarlet Hawks extended their lead in the second inning with
Matthew Reilly's single, followed by another run from Friar, leading to a 3-0 advantage. Lakeland responded in the third, closing the gap to 3-2 with Chris Finn driving in two runs. They took the lead in the fourth inning, but Illinois Tech fought back in the sixth with
Tyler Gutsfeld's solo home run, narrowing the score to 5-4.
The pivotal seventh inning saw Illinois Tech erupt for nine runs, highlighted by Riepl's two-run double and a bases-clearing grand slam home run from Reilly, concluding the game with a commanding 13-5 lead.
In the second game, Illinois Tech continued their momentum, beginning the scoring in the third inning when
Jack Friar crossed home on a sacrifice fly by
Philip Bentz.
Tyler Gutsfeld later marked his 200th career hit with an RBI single, extending Illinois Tech's lead to 2-0. They added another run in the fourth, increasing the score to 3-0 after Friar capitalized on an error.
Lakeland scored in the seventh, but Illinois Tech quickly responded with Bentz's single leading to Gutsfeld's RBI double, making it 4-1. Two more runs came in the eighth, with Friar's RBI double pushing the lead to 6-1. The Scarlet Hawks maintained their control, with
Austin Schnurr closing the game.
Scarlet Hawk Pitchers
In the first game,
John Gori pitched 3 innings with 4 strikeouts while allowing 3 earned runs on 4 hits.
Joshua Lamberson followed with 2 1/3 innings, conceding 2 earned runs.
Cullen Fulling earned the win, pitching 2 2/3 innings, striking out 3 batters.
Andrew Stanislawski closed the game with 1 inning of work.
In the second game,
Tommy Jewell delivered a strong performance, pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing 1 earned run and striking out 6 batters. Schnurr came in for relief, securing his second save of the season.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Jack Friar (Game 1 & Game 2)
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- Game 1: 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 RBI, 1 stolen base
- Game 2: 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 double, 1 stolen base
Philip Bentz (Game 1)
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- 3 hits, 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases
Matthew Reilly (Game 1)
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- 2 runs, 2 hits, 4 RBIs, 1 home run
Tyler Gutsfeld (Game 2)
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- 2 hits, 2 RBIs, 1 double
- collected his 200th career hit
Tommy Jewell (Game 2)
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- 6 1/3 innings pitched, 6 strikeouts, 1 earned run
Lakeland Top Performers
J.T. Cortinas (Game 1)
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- 2 runs, 3 hits, 3 stolen bases
Chris Finn (Game 1 & Game 2)
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- Game 1: 1 run, 2 hits, 2 RBIs
- Game 2: 1 run, 1 hit, 1 walk
**Game Notes:**
-
Jonah Wilkes scored a season-high 2 runs in Game 1.
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Tyler Gutsfeld scored at least 2 runs in 3 consecutive games in Game 1.
- Illinois Tech achieved at least 10 hits in 8 consecutive games during the season and scored at least 6 runs in 9 consecutive games during the season in Game 2.
Up Next
Looking ahead, Illinois Tech will face the University of Chicago at 6 p.m. CT Monday, April 20 at Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.
