Underclassmen Given Opportunity in Non-Conference Doubleheader Against Iowa Wesleyan

Elgin, Ill.     The Judson University Baseball Team played a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday as the Eagles faced Iowa Wesleyan on Wednesday in what was supposed to be a doubleheader featuring two seven-inning affairs. The Eagles fell in game one 6-4 in seven innings prior to Iowa Wesleyan taking game two 5-3 in five innings prior to inclement weather causing the game to be called. 

In the opener, Judson went with Alex Taylor on the hill. The freshman hailing from Overland Park, Kansas pitched 3.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out one and did not allow a walk. Garrett Grosso pitched 2.1 innings of shutout ball as he allowed only two hits and struck out one while walking three. Jacob Williams pitched the final 1.2 innings fo the Eagles, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out one and walking one in 1.2 innings of work. 

The Eagles' offense came alive in the seventh inning trailing 6-0 at the time. Judson was on the brink of being shut out after Shane Bonner could not be moved over following reaching base on a single to lead off the inning. Then, Jake Angelo hit a home run that gave the Eagles their first two runs of the inning. Joshua Taylor then reached on a hit-by-pitch, followed by a Taylor Abercrombie single. Dominic Dingillo followed up with the biggest hit of his early Judson career, a two-run RBI double to center field that scored two runs. Ian Gonzalez was retired on a groundout to end the ballgame. 

In game two, Judson's offense was held scoreless through the first two frames but responded to an early 3-0 deficit by tying the game by the end of the fourth inning. Abercrombie hit a double that plated Carter Kotwica. Gonzalez singled in Christopher Marlin and Joshua Taylor in the fourth inning to tie the game at three. Iowa Wesleyan scored twice more in the top of the fifth. Judson tried to answer in the bottom half of the fifth inning as Shane Bonner led off with a walk. Abercrombie followed with a strikeout and then Max Freund grounded into a double play to end the ballgame. 

Jake Angelo got the start for Judson and pitched 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits, while striking out two and walking three. Jake Bianco pitched 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out one. 

Judson begins its final week of CCAC regular season play with an important three-game set against St. Ambrose. The Eagles will host St. Ambrose on Friday beginning at 11:30 for a nine-inning affair, followed by a seven-inning contest around 1:30.