CHICAGO, Ill. – The Lakeland University baseball team broke open a close game in a hurry, scoring 10 times in the
sixth inning on the way to an 11-4 win over Illinois Institute of Technology Saturday afternoon at IIT's Ed Glancy Field.
The Scarlet Hawks came back for a 6-2 win in the second game to split the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference twinbill. Lakeland finished with its fourth straight NACC doubleheader split and is now 10-13 overall and 4-6 in conference.
The Muskies' eruption in the opener came with virtually no foreshadowing, as the game settled into a pitchers' duel after an opening inning when Lakeland scored first on a sacrifice fly by
Tucker Gegenfurtner (
So.-Onalaska, Wis.) before Illinois Tech answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Scarlet Hawks pitcher Joseph Belflower set down 12 straight Muskies from the second inning through the fifth.
Caleb Sumsion (
Jr.-Dayton, Nev.) led off the sixth with a single, and
Logan South (
Fr.-Oswego, Ill.) followed with a walk with one out.
OakLee Spens (
Sr.-South Weber, Utah) then singled to drive in Sumsion and tie the game, and in all 11 straight Muskies would reach base.
Rily Roberts (
Fr.-Chattanooga, Tenn.) doubled to drive in two runs,
Dylan Costello (Jr.-New Berlin, Wis.) singled in a run and South walked a second time in the inning with the bases loaded to drive in a run. The rally continued all the way through the order until Spens was on board again after a fielding error while South and
Chris Day (
Jr.-Victorville, Calif.) both scored to make it 11-2.
Spens finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored and
Sean Gregorius (
Fr.-Germantown, Wis.) also added three hits.
Thor Dunham (
Jr.-Palisade, Minn.) was the recipient of the run support and his strong start was rewarded with his second win of the season. Dunham pitched 6 2/3 innings and allowed nine hits and four runs (three earned) before
Eli Watkins (
So.-Herrin, Ill.) pitched a scoreless final 2 1/3, allowing just one hit.
The second game was also a one-run battle much of the way, with the Muskies getting an early jump with two runs in the top of the first. Gegenfurtner and Roberts both singled to drive in runs as part of four hits in the opening inning, though IIT answered with a run in the bottom of the frame when Tyler Gutsfeld scored on a passed ball.
Illinois Tech (9-12 overall, 5-3 NACC) took the lead with two runs in the third when Gutsfeld stole home as part of a double steal and Jack Finch drove in the go-ahead run with a groundout. The hosts held a slim 3-2 lead into the eighth, when Gutseld was a thorn in the Muskies' side again, hitting a two-out, two-run homer. Michael Paxson followed immediately after with a solo homer to make it 6-2.
Gegenfurtner, Gregorius and Roberts all had two hits in the second game, but the Muskies stranded nine runners and also struck out 12 times. Gegenfurtner started and pitched four innings, allowing six hits and three runs (two earned) with two strikeouts before Roberts pitched the final four innings, allowing four hits and three runs with two strikeouts.
Lakeland takes the field again Tuesday when it hosts Northland College for a doubleheader starting at noon.
