CHICAGO—The back-end of a four-game series pitted the Illinois Institute of Technology baseball team at Rockford (DH) for a Sunday-afternoon bout. The Scarlet Hawks converted their fourth doubleheader sweep of the season with 11-6 (game one) and 10-3 (game two) victories over the Regents.
Illinois Tech improves to 12-6, 7-5 NACC while Rockford falls to 9-19, 1-9 NACC.
Illinois Tech 11, Rockford 6 (Game One)
The Scarlet Hawks either led or tied Rockford from start-to-finish, which began with a four-run first inning that gave them a 4-0 cushion out of the gates. Illinois Tech wouldn't score again until the sixth inning, when the score read 4-4 prior to the frame. Brandon Bennitt led off the sixth inning with a double and reached third on a wild pitch before he scored off Matthew Jackson's sacrifice fly to give the Scarlet Hawks a 5-4 lead they wouldn't surrender.
Illinois Tech would score at least one run in each of the final four innings en route to an 11-6 victory.
Connor Blake pitched the first 4 2/3 innings for Illinois Tech before Zac Lis came in and registered his first winning decision of the season. Lis allowed two hits and no runs over 2 1/3 innings of work before Carselle pitched the final two frames. The three pitchers combined to allow 14 hits and six runs (five earned), and strikeout four batters.
Five Scarlet Hawks tallied a two-hit game, while Nick Bledsoe tallied his fourth triple of the season.
Illinois Tech 10, Rockford 1 (Game Two)
A pair of four-run innings for the Scarlet Hawks in the first, and fourth frames gave them enough cushion to secure a 10-3 victory. Starting pitcher Ian Duke was dynamite for Illinois Tech; as he struck out seven and allowed six hits and three runs over six innings of work before Samuel Sproule, Caleb Parks and Chris Harrison each notched one inning of service.
Ted Howell and Nick Bledsoe each went 3-for-4 at the plate for the Scarlet Hawks. Howell added three runs scored and two RBI to his game-two stat line. Connor Blake tallied a 2-for-3 outing that included two runs scored.
The Scarlet Hawks will travel to Lisle, Illinois to face Benedictine (DH) on Saturday, May 1. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m.