RIVER FOREST, ILL.—The Illinois Institute of Technology baseball team traveled to Concordia Chicago (DH) for a Sunday afternoon bout following a 13-day hiatus from competition. The Scarlet Hawks' first road games of 2021 resulted in a sweep over the Cougars by scores of 7-5 in game one, and 5-3 in game two. The Cougars have won at least a share of the last seven NACC Regular Season Baseball Championships dating back to 2013.
The sweep gives Illinois Tech a 7-1, 2-0 NACC record while Concordia Chicago exits Sunday with a 6-10, 0-2 NACC record.
Illinois Tech 7, Concordia Chicago 5 (Game One)
Things stood at 2-2 heading into the sixth inning, where the Scarlet Hawks sealed the game with five runs in the frame. Jacob Sorenson led off with an infield single before he circled the bases and scored from third on a wild pitch to give the Scarlet Hawks the lead for good at 3-2. David Navarro followed that with another infield single before he scored off Michael Courtney's single to widen the score at 4-2. Courtney came around to score off Brandon Bennitt's double to make things 5-2. The score became 7-2 courtesy of Ted Howell's two-run home run.
The Cougars responded with a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to narrow their deficit to 7-5, where it stayed final.
Courtney and Bennitt paced the Scarlet Hawks offense with a pair of hits, while Howell went 1-for-4 with a home run.
Austin Richardson pitched the first five innings for Illinois Tech before Roberto Carselle came in for the final four. They combined to give up eight hits, and strikeout 11 batters.
Illinois Tech 5, Concordia Chicago 3 (Game Two)
Ryan Cantlin was sensational on the pitching mound for the Scarlet Hawks; giving up nine hits, three runs (two earned) and striking out nine over 8 1/3 innings of work. He found his composure after the Cougars took a 3-0 lead after the second inning, not giving up a single run thereafter.
The Scarlet Hawks found the scoreboard in the sixth inning when Matthew Jackson scored off Courtney's sacrifice fly to narrow their deficit to 3-1. Courtney drove in two more runs in the eighth inning with a double that scored Brandon Holifield and Samuel Sproule to tie the game 3-3.
Sproule gave Illinois Tech the lead with a ninth-inning single that scored Nick Bledsoe, who singled, to make the score 4-3. Matthew Jackson, who previously walked, made things 5-3 when Claudio LoBraico reached on an error. Wyatt Ronek pitched the final 2/3 innings and locked the victory for Illinois Tech.
LoBraico, Sproule and Bennitt each notched a pair of hits for Illinois Tech.
The Scarlet Hawks will host Concordia Chicago (DH) at Ed Glancy Field tomorrow, Monday, April 12 at 12:00 p.m.