Blueboys Baseball Fall Twice To Lawrence

APPLETON, Wis. - The Illinois College baseball continued Midwest Conference play with a visit to top-ranked MWC team in Lawrence University for a double-header Saturday afternoon. The Blueboys battled the Vikings but dropped both decisions by the scores of 6-16 and 3-10. 

Game 1: Illinois College 6, Lawrence 16

IC's Ryne Mapes opened the day with a single to right and advanced to third on a failed picked off attempt by LU's starting pitcher Quinn Berglin. Moments later, Mapes gave IC the early 1-0 lead as he scored on a passed ball. The Lincoln Land transfer in Adam Passmore ripped a double down the right field line to get in scoring position. The next batter in Louie Bartletti advanced Passmore to third with a sacrifice fly to center as scored on a throwing error by the LU right fielder that made the score 2-0. 

Starting pitcher Jack McGuire took the mound for IC with the lead and opened the game with a scoreless inning. In the second inning, Brayden Weaver got the inning started with a single to right. After a walk drawn by Mapes, Passmore reached base on a fielder's choice that put runners on the corners. Moments later, IC increased the lead to 3-0 when Weaver scored on a wild pitch. With two outs, the Blueboys added two runs on a pass ball that included two throwing errors from the Vikings that made the score 5-0. 

In the bottom of the second and third inning, Lawrence added single runs with a solo home runs from Taylor Freeman and Parker Knoll that made the score 5-2. 

In the top of the fourth, IC got one of those runs back on a rbi single by Bartletti that scored Weaver for the score 6-2. In the bottom frame, LU cut the deficit in half at 6-4 with a two-run single by William Zatkowski. 

In the bottom of the sixth inning, LU broke open the game with a ten-run inning that included six hits and made the score 6-14. In the bottom of the seventh, LU's Edan Perez finished the game with a two-run home run. 

For the game, IC was led in hits by Weaver with two as Bartletti drove in one. On the mound, McGuire delivered five and third innings while striking out five.  

Game 2: Illinois College 3, Lawrence 10

In the nightcap decision, Branson Shaw took the mound for IC. In the bottom of the first, the Vikings took the early 0-2 lead on a solo home run and a rbi single to left. In the bottom of the second, Lawrence added three more runs that increased the deficit to 0-5. Shaw shut out the Vikings in the third inning. 

In the top of the fourth inning, IC made a pitching change to first-year Charlie Lardi out of the bullpen. On the first batter Lardi saw, LU's Jacob Charon increased the deficit to 0-8 with a three-run homer. The Vikings added another in the inning which made the score 0-9 on a IC defensive error. 

In the top of the sixth inning, Louie Bartletti led off the inning with a single to right and advanced to third on a fielding error by the LU's right fielder. The next batter in Nolan Decker got IC on the scoreboard with a sacrifice fly that scored Bartletti that made the score 1-9. 

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Vikings added a single-run on a wild pitch issued by Lardi that made the score 1-10. In the top of the ninth, Jackson Fricke entered the game as a pinch-hitter and blasted a two-run home run to right which was his first collegiate homerun in a IC uniform.  

For the game, IC was led in hits by Passmore with two while Fricke drove in two. On the mound, Shaw struck out three batters in three inning of work. Reliever Lardi pitched the final five innings and stuck out eight batters. 

The Blueboys will conclude this weekend MWC series against Lawrence on Sunday, April 27 starting at noon in Appleton, Wisconsin.