East Peoria, Ill. - Some weekday baseball was on tap at Thome Field in East Peoria on Monday, as the ICC baseball team (10-12) was looking to finish off a sweep of MWAC foe Vincennes in the first conference series of 2023. A number of exactly three-run innings proved key in the Cougars indeed getting the sweep, winning Monday's twinbill by scores of 7-5 and 8-2.
GAME 1 - ICC COUGARS 7, VINCENNES 5
The Trailblazers wasted no time getting into the hit column, leading off the game with a single. That single, though, did not score the first run. An error moved a pair of Vincennes runners, one of which scored, and put the visitors up 1-0 after half an inning.
Now the Cougars went right to work as well. After
Zach Otten was hit by a pitch to start the inning, a
Josh Heyder single and
Jackson Powell walk loaded the bases. A strikeout put the Trailblazers one out from snuffing the early unloading attempt, but it wasn't without a
Kaleb Gauf hit by pitch to force in the 1-1 tie after an inning.
After Vincennes took the lead right back on an RBI single, both teams' bats went quiet for an inning and a half. That was, until ICC had one of its three three-run innings on the day. In the fourth inning, after
Carson Johnson held the Trailblazers to a 1-2-3 inning on the bump, the ICC offense helped him out in the bottom half, with
Matt Evans lining a game-tying single to bring in Gauf and
Josh Heyder doubling to bring in both
Tyler Bishop and Evans. Just like that, a 2-1 deficit became a 4-2 lead.
The Trailblazers would, however, add on three unanswered runs over the tops of innings five and six. That put ICC down 5-4 entering the bottom of the sixth inning. Timely hitting came in a, well, timely manner. A
Luke Doty single became a pitching change. That change by Vincennes would be to no avail. Soon after, Doty advanced to second on a passed ball. On consecutive plate appearances,
Beau Durbin tripled and
Josh Heyder doubled, putting the Cougars up for good at 6-5. ICC would add another run for insurance when Heyder took home off an error.
Gavin Thompson, who would be credited with the win in game one, shut the door in the top of the seventh, drawing a pair of ground outs and a flyout.
Hitting:
Josh Heyder | 3 hits, 3 RBI
Beau Durbin | 1 hit, 1 RBI
Matt Evans | 1 hit, 1 RBI, 1 walk
Pitching:
Carson Johnson | 5 innings, 3 hits, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
Gavin Thompson (W) | 2 innings, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
GAME 2 - ICC COUGARS 8, VINCENNES 2
Vincennes would draw first blood in game two, scoring in the top of the second. ICC's offense unfurled from there - scoring all eight of their runs for the game in unanswered fashion.
Riley McCallister capitalizing on a passed ball tied the game at 1-1.
Josh Heyder tripled home
Beau Durbin and
Kaleb Gauf hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Heyder and, as early as it was, once again, take the lead for good. This time, it was at 3-1.
Perhaps the biggest inning of the game saw nearly the full nine batters come to the plate in the fourth. Durbin (RBI single), Heyder (RBI double), and
Jackson Powell (RBI single) all batted in runners in route to a 6-1 cushion for the game's pitching staff of
Jake Jacek and
Gage Burdick, who'd ultimately combine for just one earned run.
ICC wasn't done just yet. An RBI groundout from
Luke Doty and Gauf RBI double set the eight runs. Vincennes would hit a solo home run to set the final score.
Hitting:
Beau Durbin | 4 hits, 1 RBI
Josh Heyder | 3 hits, 2 RBI, 1 walk
Jackson Powell | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Kaleb Gauf | 1 hit, 2 RBI
Riley McCallister | 2 hits
Luke Doty | 1 hit, 1 RBI
Hunter Thornton | 3 walks
Tyler Hansen | 2 walks
Pitching:
Jake Jacek (W) | 5 innings, 5 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Gage Burdick | 4 innings, 2 hits, 1 earned run, 5 strikeouts
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
vs. Lewis & Clark Trailblazers
Friday, March 31st - 1PM & 4PM
@ Thome Field - East Peoria, Ill.
LIVE STATS (GameChanger)
