Springfield, Ill. - It's safe to safe that runs were at a bit more of a premium in ICC baseball's (13-15, 7-3) MWAC doubleheader at Lincoln Land's Claude Kracik Field on Friday afternoon. In fact, the last eight games straight, the winning team had scored more than five runs. That mark would not be needed in either game on Friday, with ICC taking a narrow opening game by a 5-4 margin and dropping the nightcap by another narrow score, 3-1.

GAME 1 - ICC COUGARS 5, LINCOLN LAND 4
An early testament to the lack of scoring, game one saw a pitcher's duel in its truest form, with neither team scoring through the first five innings of play. 

At long last, it would be the Cougars that found their way to the scoreboard first. In the top of the sixth, Luke Doty led the frame off by legging out an infield single. After a steal of second by Doty, Zach Otten laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Doty to third. That put Beau Durbin in prime position for the first run of the game, and he'd follow through, lining a double into the outfield grass for a 1-0 lead. ICC, however, wasn't done there. Kaleb Gauf lined a double to score Durbin and end the sixth inning with, at the game's present rate, a comfortable 2-0 lead. As maybe safe as that lead seemed, more would need to be in the cards. The Loggers answered with one in the bottom half to pull within 2-1.

After both teams went scoreless in the seventh, the scoring cranked up. Now, that being said, the Cougars only got five at bats out of their half of the eighth. They definitely made the most of it. Durbin doubled on the second at bat of the inning, and Josh Heyder immediately followed him up with a single to bring him home and go up 3-1. 

Looking to take the lead, the Loggers charged back by scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI single to tie the game up at three, forcing the Cougars into a need to add insurance in the top of the ninth. 

 Fortune favors the leadoff hitter on base. Perhaps that's the baseball version of the saying, anyway. Tyler Bishop got the ninth going with a single into the outfield, and Hunter Thornton sacrificed him over to put the go-ahead run in scoring position. Riley McCallister would knock that run in with an RBI double to take a 4-3 lead. That, come to find out, still would not be enough for the win. After Otten drew a walk, however, Durbin found paydirt in the outfield for the eventual game-winning hit, as the Cougars took a 5-3 lead. 

Lincoln Land would thus need two to tie and three to walk it off. They nearly did it. A fourth run got into scoring position and the game-tying run on base by way of an error and a couple of walks. That fourth run would score on a bases-loaded walk, but Gavin Thompson shut the door with a strikeout to secure the 5-4 win. 

Hitting:
Beau Durbin | 3 hits, 2 RBI
Kaleb Gauf | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Riley McCallister | 2 hits, 1 RBI
Josh Heyder | 1 hit, 1 RBI
Zach Otten | 1 walk
Jackson Powell | 1 walk

Pitching:
Nick Hainline | 7 innings, 1 earned run, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts
Kaiden Rixner | 1.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 1 strikeout
Gavin Thompson | 0.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 strikeout

GAME 2 - LINCOLN LAND 3, ICC COUGARS 1
Yet another pitchers duel ensued in game two. This time, however, ICC just was unable to find too much of a rhythm at the plate, tallying two hits by the game's end. 

The Loggers didn't get that all that many hits either. They would slowly chip away though, with one-run innings in the second, fourth, and fifth innings to take a 3-0 lead at that point. 

The Cougars had gotten a first-inning single from Beau Durbin, but not until the seventh and final inning did they get a run on the board. That happened when Durbin launched his third home run of the season, a mark good for a tie for second on the team. 

Tyler Hansen did draw a walk to put a potential second run on base, but the attempt was snuffed after a strikeout and the Loggers would take the doubleheader split.

Hitting:
Beau Durbin | 1 single, 1 home run, 1 RBI
Jackson Powell | 1 walk
Tyler Hansen | 1 walk

Pitching:
Gage Burdick | 4 innings, 2 hits, 2 earned runs, 5 strikeouts
Beau Beeney | 1 inning, 1 earned run, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
Cole Thomas | 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout

HOME SWEET HOME
Tomorrow's doubleheader at Thome Field with the Loggers marks home games seven and eight for Coach Brett Kelley's squad in 2023. To this point, ICC is (6-0) in the friendly confines of their home field. That record will be put to the test, with the once-ranked Loggers, #2 Heartland, and #18 Parkland among upcoming home opponents. 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
vs. Lincoln Land Loggers
Saturday, April 8th - 1PM & 4PM
@ Thome Field - East Peoria, Ill.
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