Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College baseball team faced Lawrence University in a double-header on Saturday, as part of their Midwest Conference play. The Blueboys were unable to secure a win, losing both games with scores of 6-16 and 3-10.

In the first game, Ryne Mapes initiated the scoring for Illinois College (IC) by reaching third base after a single and an error from Lawrence University's (LU) pitcher Quinn Berglin. IC took an early lead when Mapes scored on a passed ball. Adam Passmore's double furthered their position, and Louie Bartletti's sacrifice fly led to another run due to a throwing error by LU's right fielder.

Jack McGuire started strong for IC with a scoreless inning but was later challenged as Lawrence added runs through solo home runs by Taylor Freeman and Parker Knoll. Despite efforts from IC, including an RBI single by Bartletti that brought the score to 6-2, LU turned the game around with ten runs in the sixth inning. Edan Perez sealed LU’s victory with a two-run homer in the seventh inning.

Branson Shaw pitched for IC in the second game but faced early setbacks as LU gained momentum with five runs over two innings. A pitching change introduced Charlie Lardi who conceded further runs including a three-run homer by Jacob Charon.

Despite trailing significantly, IC managed some late-game highlights such as Jackson Fricke's two-run home run in his debut collegiate appearance. Louie Bartletti also contributed offensively with hits that eventually led to scoring opportunities.

The Blueboys will continue their series against Lawrence University on Sunday at noon in Appleton, Wisconsin.