BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – A offensive onslaught and a walk-off winner highlighted the Illinois Wesleyan University baseball team's sweep of Wartburg College in non-conference action Saturday, March 13, at Horenberger Field. The Titans upped their record to 5-3, while the Knights slipped to 2-4.

Illinois Wesleyan used breakout offensive performances to overpower Wartburg 13-10 in game one, before freshman Evan Hutson's (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) walk-off single gave IWU a 6-5 victory in the nightcap.

Game One: Wartburg 10, Illinois Wesleyan 13
Freshman Jacob Cyrus (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard South) powered the Titans to a game one victory with seven RBIs in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, highlighted by a three-run blast. Sophomore Ethan Burgh (Arlington Heights, Ill.-Prospect) also picked up a multi-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a double, a run scored, and a RBI. Freshman Will Kafer (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal West) finished 2-for-5 with two RBIs, as IWU's 12 hits were spread among six players.

Jacob Duffy (Pontiac, Ill.-Pontiac) was the pitcher of record tossing 1.1 scoreless, while allowing just one hit and registering a strikeout. Cooper Kraft (Morton, Ill.-Morton) also turned in a strong relief appearance, pitching two scoreless innings.

Wartburg opened up a 4-0 lead in the first inning, scoring on three hits and an error, but Illinois Wesleyan rallied back with a five-run third. Dan Cerniglia (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) and Dominic DiLello (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart Griffin) drew back-to-back one out walks to set the table for Burgh, who singled home Cerniglia. Junior Evan Ranneklev (Naperville, Ill.-Neuqua Valley) reached on an error in the next at bat, loading the bases for Collin Elvers (Hamel, Ill.-Edwardsville). After Elvers was plunked to score one, Cyrus laced a three-run double to left to give IWU a 5-4 lead into the fourth.

Wartburg regained the lead with two runs in the fourth on two hits and a pair of errors, but the 6-5 lead was short-lived as Illinois Wesleyan plated runs in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the fifth, three straight singles by Ranneklev, Elvers, and Cyrus evened the score at six all. Elvers then came across home on Kafer's fielder's choice to put Illinois Wesleyan in front, 7-6.

The Titans plated three more in the third, on an Elvers sacrifice fly and Kafer's two-run double to increase their cushion to four, 10-6.

The Knights roared back in the eight, sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring four runs on just two hits to tie the score at 10-10, but the Green and White responded with three runs in its half of the frame. With runs on first and second with one out, Cyrus dug in and blasted a homer to left field to propel the Titans to the 13-10 victory.
 
Game Two: Wartburg 5, Illinois Wesleyan 6
Cyrus, Burgh, and Ranneklev tallied three hits apiece in game two. Cyrus went 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Burgh finished 3-for-5 with three runs scored and Ranneklev turned in a 3-for-4 effort with two RBIs and two doubles.

Senior Eric Bennes (Palatine, Ill.-Fremd) picked up the win on the mound. Fellow senior Dan Trudeau (Mokena, Ill.-Mount Carmel) ate up some innings in relief, yielding two hits over four innings and striking out three.

Cyrus kept the Titans even with the Knights through three, as the freshman came up with a pair of RBI singles in the first three frames.
Ranneklev put Illinois Wesleyan in front with a two-run double in the fourth, and Cyrus followed with another RBI knock to give the Green and White a 5-2 edge after four.

After a homerun cut IWU's lead to two, Wartburg rallied for two runs in the ninth. A leadoff single scooted into second on a wild pitch, and a walk put two on with one out, before a single to right loaded the bases. A two-run double plated two with two outs to even the score at 5-5 before Bennes induced an inning-ending fly out.

With the game tied, Burgh got IWU's half of the ninth started with a single to center. After Burgh promptly swiped second, Ranneklev was plunked. A sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out for Hutson, who roped a single into left to give Illinois Wesleyan a 6-5 walk-off win.

Illinois Wesleyan dips into College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action Tuesday, March 16, when North Park University visits Horenberger Field for a 3 p.m. first pitch.