East Peoria, Ill.---After a rainy and chilly week the ICC baseball team finally got back in action on Saturday but fell 14-9 and 7-3 to #13 Lincoln Land at Thome Field in M-WAC action.
Game 1: The Cougars (5-12) cranked out 12 hits in the game but LLCC (20-8) scored five runs in the 1st inning forcing ICC to play from behind.
Ben Nofsinger got the Cougars on the board with a two-run homer over the center field fence to score he and
Max Jones (who had singled) to make the score 5-2. ICC tallied another run in the fourth but LLCC extended the lead to 10-3 in the 5th inning.
The Cougars drew to within 10-5 in the 6th on a
Brody Reed RBI single and sacrifice fly by
Zach Otten but the Loggers again answered with a run in each of the 7th and 8th innings.
ICC rallied in the bottom of the 8th, plating four runs higlighted by a two-RBI single from
Coltin Quagliano to bring ICC to within 12-9 but LLCC scored two more in the 9th for the final margin.
Travis Lutz took the loss for ICC, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits while striking out 6 in four innings.
Game 2:
ICC out-hit Lincoln Land seven to six, but it wasn't enough in a 7-3 loss in what was a back-and-forth affair until the 6th inning when LLCC pulled away with 3 runs.
The Loggers got a run in the 2nd and 3rd innings but ICC answered on an RBI single by Quagliano and another run on a passed ball. ICC added a single run in the 7th.
Colin Bauer started the game with a strong performance on the mound allowing 3 hits and 2 runs over three innings while striking out 4.
Bryce Brecklin took the loss, allowing 3 hits and 5 runs over 4 innings, striking out 3.
Reed went 2-3 at the plate to lead ICC in hits while Quagliano had 2 RBI. Box scores of both games appear below.
Next up: The two teams will finish off their series tomorrow (April 10) in a 1pm double-header in Springfield at Claude Kracik Field.
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
