East Peoria, IL - It was a gloomy day in the skies at Thome Field on Saturday afternoon, as the Illinois Central College Baseball team (7-24, 2-10) looked to wrap up its four-game conference series with the Vincennes Trailblazers (15-17, 6-10). Vincennes took a late lead in the opener to win 5-2, before a big fourth inning gave the visitors enough space for a 7-3 win in game two. 

GAME ONE | VINCENNES 5, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 2
Through two and a half innings, base runners were hard to come by for both teams, with a double no-hitter on the line score for the interim. It wasn't until a leadoff single from Jace Easley in the bottom of the third that the game would see its first hit. Soon after the Easley single, Thomas Krueger (single) and Ryan Brucker (triple) had consecutive RBI hits to go ahead 2-0 after three. 

The Cougars were able to hold Vincennes off the scoreboard up until the fifth, when an RBI sacrifice fly and passed ball made it a tied game. Eventually, the Trailblazers would pull away as well, using a two-run double and an error to set the final score in the top of the sixth. 

Kaiden Lucero would lead ICC's last chance off with a single, but a strikeout and double play followed to end the game. 

COUGAR HITTING
Thomas Krueger (3B) | 1 single, 1 RBI
Ryan Brucker (DH) | 1 triple, 1 RBI
Kyle Binder (C) | 1 walk
Jake Stewart (1B) | 1 hit by pitch, 1 stolen base
Kaiden Lucero (LF) | 2 singles
Jace Easley (2B) | 1 single

COUGAR PITCHING
Blake Norton (L) | 6 innings, 3 hits, 3 earned runs, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts
Logan Justus | 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout

GAME TWO | VINCENNES 7, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 3
The Cougars got to the scoreboard first in emphatic fashion, when Thomas Krueger had the green light on a 3-1 count and sent one over the center field fence. Ryan Brucker would reach on an error and Jayden Malone singled, but an infield fly and groundout followed to snuff any further scoring. 

Vincennes would load the bases with two outs in the second, but an unassisted fielder's choice from Krueger ended the frame with no runs on the board. 

The Trailblazers would pull through in the fourth, with an error, two-run single, RBI groundout, and RBI single creating a four-run lead and a 5-1 score. 

Meanwhile, ICC would make some noise in their half of the fifth, when Aidan Fulton and Krueger both walked, plus Brucker reaching on a fielder's choice to load the bases with just one out. Jayden Malone would fly out, but deep enough into center field to allow Fulton to tag up and cut it to a three-run deficit. 

Vincennes would add on a run of insurance on an RBI single in the top of the seventh. As elements played a factor all afternoon, runs were hard to get, but in the bottom of the ninth, after fouling the first pitch off, Krueger would launch his second home run of the day to pull within four runs. Brucker would walk and Jake Stewart would single to put two on with one out, but a strikeout and popout ended the game with a four-run win for the Trailblazers. 

COUGAR HITTING
Aidan Fulton (CF) | 1 walk
Thomas Krueger (3B) | 2 sinlges, 2 home runs, 2 RBI, 1 walk
Ryan Brucker (DH) | 1 single, 2 walks, 1 stolen base
Jayden Malone (RF) | 1 single, 1 RBI
Jake Stewart (1B) | 2 singles
Chris Casey (LF) | 1 single
Ethan Krutke (C) | 1 walk
Jace Easley (2B) | 1 single
Nate Bartman (SS) | 1 single

COUGAR PITCHING
Mason Lynch (L) | 3.2 innings, 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 3 walks, 3 strikeouts
Broker Bailey | 1.1 innings, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 2 walks, 0 strikeouts
Wyatt Jacek | 2 innings, 3 hits, 2 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts
Eli Wang | 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
Finn Heath | 1 inning, 0 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ Lincoln Trail Statesmen (11-18)
Tuesday, April 1st - 3:00 PM
at Parker Field - Robinson, IL
Live Stats (GameChanger; "25 ICC Cougars Baseball")