Schaumburg, Ill – Illinois Tech Baseball fell to Dominican University 5-3 in a midweek contest. Tech had a 3-1 lead with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th inning but could not get the final 4 outs before the Stars of Dominican shined. IIT is now 20-7 on the season.
Elliot Chibe gets the no decision for his efforts in the game. He went 7.0+ innings with 3 runs (all earned) on 9 hits with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts. After hitting a batter and allowing a double to start the 8th inning Chibe gave way to Andrew Lamkin. Lamkin walked the first hitter then induced a ground out to the 3rd basemen Kyle Bumpass who threw home to get the force out, followed by a strikeout for out number two. Then a pinch hitter singled and out fielder Alex Babusci came up just shy of throwing out the tying runner at the plate. Dominican added two more runs off a wild pitch from Lamkin and then another single. Lamkin went 1.0 inning allowing 2 runs (all earned) on 2 hits with 1 walk and 1 strikeout.
The Hawks offense came out of the gate to take the lead with one run in the first inning on a Michael Malfeo double off the top of the wall in left field. That shot scored Austin Boos after he reached by error and stole second base. Dominican answered in the bottom half to tie it. IIT scored again in the 2nd when Ryan Fitzpatrick singled to shortstop and then advanced to second on a throwing error followed by a Boos single to score Fitzpatrick. The scoring was on hold all the way until Tech added one more insurance in the 8th inning where Brian Colon-Rodriguez singled to start the inning followed by a sacrifice bunt by Alex Babusci to move Colon to second base, as Sam Pung doubled down the left field line to score Colon.
Next up on the schedule is the 4th Annual Southside Classic with Illinois Tech hosting Maranatha Baptist University on Friday, May 1st at 7:00pm at US Cellular Field (home of the Chicago White Sox).