Danville, Ill. - After an offensive surge on Saturday, the ICC baseball team (21-27, 15-13) started the week by taking on the same Danville Area Jaguars squad they had just swept three days prior. In the opener, the Cougars used a late charge to win 6-2 and take a 3-0 lead in the series. In the finale, however, ICC was unable to hold an early lead and a similar tracjetory for the Jaguars gave them a 13-3 win in game two.
GAME 1 - ICC COUGARS 6, DANVILLE AREA 2
After Danville Area had taken an early 2-0 lead after a pair of one-run innings (including a solo home run), ICC was able to get to the scoreboard in piece-by-piece fashion.
Riley McCallister got the scoring going when he doubled towards right field to score
Camden Porter, who had singled.
Zach Otten did have a successful sacrifice bunt to move McCallister into scoring position, but any further runs were halted.
The Jaguars were able to put a runner in scoring position by way of a single and walk, but both would be stranded on a
Gavin Thompson strikeout. In response,
Beau Durbin wasted (almost) no time in the fourth, launching his fifth home run of the season on the second pitch of the at-bat, tying the game up at 2-2.
Thompson and the Cougar defense would continue to hold the Jaguars off. There were baserunners now and again, but those never became runs. Using that dynamic, the Cougars took the lead for good on an Otten sacrifice fly to score Porter and go up 3-2 in the fifth.
The lone multi-run inning of the game for either team came when ICC was able to put two on the board in the sixth, with
Josh Heyder scoring on a fielder's choice and Porter tallying an RBI single to score
Kaleb Gauf and secure a 5-2 lead.
Now, in the grand scheme of things, the lead was already enough - but in the moment, more runs never hurt. The Cougars would set the 6-2 final score on an RBI single from Heyder that scored Durbin, who'd doubled earlier in the inning.
Thompson would finish the game off with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, drawing a pair of flyouts and a groundout. He'd also finish with nine strikeouts by game's end.
GAME 2 - DANVILLE AREA 13, ICC COUGARS 3
For those keeping track, entering the series finale, ICC was outscoring Danville Area 28-6. The Cougars would expand that with a two-run first (30-6). From there, however, it was a huge 13-1 surge from the host Jaguar bats that secured a run-rule shortened victory.
The Cougar bats got right into an optimal scoring position, with
Camden Porter reaching on an error,
Beau Durbin being hit by a pitch, and
Josh Heyder drawing a walk all loading the bases for
Kaleb Gauf. Gauf was able to get a run out of it on an RBI sacrifice fly to score Porter.
Tyler Hansen would get another run in with his RBI single to bring Durbin in and put Heyder in scoring position with the aforementioned 2-0 lead.
After a scoreless second inning for both sides, the Jaguars would score seven runs unanswered between the third and fourth innings to take a 7-2 lead.
ICC was able to get one last run on the board before the game could wrap. After the first two plate appearances had resulted in outs,
Josh Heyder sent his team-leading 10th home run of the season out of Danville Stadium on the first pitch of his at bat.
Danville would tack on six in the bottom of the fifth to set the 13-3 final score.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
The Cougars are back in action again Wednesday, returning to Thome Field for their third game versus the Carl Sandburg Chargers. ICC won 3-2 in Galesburg on March 22nd before the Chargers won a 15-8 slugfest just under a week ago. First pitch of the stand-alone game is set for 6:00 PM.
Of note, although not truly next, there is a schedule change for the final MWAC series. John Wood's series has been adjusted to being *at Thome Field* on *Thursday, May 11th* and in Quincy on *Friday, May 12th*. Game times will be featured in the next postgame story or can be found by viewing the schedule.
