Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Western Illinois

Sunday, April 7

Macomb, Ill.

1:00 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

11-14, 0-3

Western Illinois

7-20, 1-2

IPFW

Western Illinois

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Western Illinois

4/7/2013 7:16:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

MACOMB, Ill.—The IPFW baseball team split a pair of games on Sunday at Western Illinois with a 2-1 loss in game one, followed by a 3-2 win in the nightcap. The Leathernecks scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to grab their win and IPFW came back to break a 2-2 tie with a run in the top of the sixth inning to win game two.

Game one was a pitching duel as the Mastodons were limited to three hits. A strong outing from Steve Danielak kept IPFW in the game, but a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the ninth gave Western Illinois the 2-1 victory.

Danielak threw 5.1 innings and struck out two batters. He allowed three hits which turned into one earned run. The junior was replaced in the game by Connor Lawhead who came in from the bullpen to toss the final 3.1 innings of the game. Lawhead only gave up two hits while striking out two, but he walked two batters. He was hit with the loss and is now 1-3 on the year.

Clay Hathaway, Caleb Fenimore and Brandon Soat each recorded one hit in game one. Soat put IPFW on the board with an RBI single that allowed Evan VanSumeren to score from second base in the top of the fourth inning.

Neither team could get their offense going after the fourth as the two teams reached the ninth inning deadlocked at 1-1. Fenimore hit a two-out double in the ninth, but Malcolm White was unable to reach base as his groundout back to the pitcher ended the inning.

Game two got off to a quick start as the Leathernecks jumped out in front 2-0 in the bottom of the first inning. The Mastodons answered with two runs in the top of the second as VanSumeren doubled down the right field line to lead off the inning and then a Kendall Whitman homer tied the game.

IPFW won the game with a run in the sixth off an RBI single from Soat. Shepherd led off the inning with a single to left and Kristian Gayday joined him on base after being hit by a pitch. Hathaway advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt and Soat came up with the clutch pinch hit single.

Brandon Pease got the win on mound for IPFW and Connor McLaughlin earned the save. Pease is now 1-0 on the hill after throwing six full innings. He struck out two and did not issue a walk on Sunday.

McLaughlin recorded a strikeout to get the first out of the seventh and a pop up to short put IPFW one out away from a victory. McLaughlin walked a batter and gave up a single which moved the runner to second, but a groundout to second ended the game.

IPFW will play at Dayton on Wednesday, April 10 and return to Summit League action by hosting South Dakota State in the 2013 home opener on Friday, April 12.

~ Feel the Rumble ~