East Peoria, IL - The Illinois Central College Baseball team (14-33, 9-17) was back in action on Saturday when they hosted the Lewis & Clark Trailblazers (25-23, 13-15) in the Cougars' first game action in a week. In the opener, ICC was unable to make up a big push by Lewis & Clark in an 11-6 loss, before the Cougars made a ferocious comeback in game two to win 4-2. 

GAME ONE | LEWIS & CLARK 11, ILLINOIS CENTRAL 6
ICC was the first two the scoreboard, doing so early, with an RBI single from Jayden Malone, RBI single from Chris Casey, and RBI sacrifice bunt from Jake Stewart creating an early 3-0 lead. Lewis & Clark, however, responded instantaneously with a five-run second inning. 

From there, the Cougars went scoreless for nearly three full innings. That was enough time for the Trailblazers to swell the lead to as much as 11-3 in the top of the fourth. 

ICC found their way back into it with an RBI single from Malone, with Ryan Brucker (who'd reached on a fielder's choice) also scoring to cut the deficit to six runs. 

The Cougars would add on again in the seventh, with an RBI groundout from Malone setting the 11-6 final score. After Malone's RBI, there were only four combined base runners for both teams and the Trailblazers took the five-run victory. 

COUGAR HITTING
Kaiden Lucero | 2 singles, 1 walk
Thomas Krueger | 2 singles, 1 stolen base
Ryan Brucker | 1 single
Jayden Malone | 2 singles, 4 RBI
Chris Casey | 1 single, 1 RBI
Jake Stewart | 1 single, 1 RBI
Nate Bartman | 1 single, 1 walk, 1 stolen base

COUGAR PITCHING
Broker Bailey (L) | 3.1 innings, 11 hits, 10 earned runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts
Spencer Timm | 3.2 innings, 1 hit, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
Caleb Diver | 2 innings, 2 hits, 0 earned runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts

GAME TWO | ILLINOIS CENTRAL 4, LEWIS & CLARK 2
There wasn't nearly as much offense in this one, but still plenty of excitement. Kaiser Quick was on the bump for the Cougars, and went three and a third innings without allowing a run to start the game. Amid that shutout start by Quick, the Cougars got their first run of the game thanks to an RBI single from Elliot Seckman. 

Lewis & Clark, however, would score two unanswered runs by way of an RBI single and a solo home run, making it 2-1 Trailblazers in the top of the sixth.

Meanwhile, if the Cougars wanted to end the game in regulation, they'd need two runs in the bottom half to be in the driver's seat. They'd get even more. With just one out recorded in the inning, ICC was able to get an RBI triple from Thomas Krueger, RBI double from Jayden Malone, and an RBI single from Chris Casey to get a two-run cushion for Quick in the seventh, who promptly ended the game with a 1-2-3 inning. 

COUGAR HITTING
Kaiden Lucero | 1 single
Thomas Krueger | 1 triple, 1 RBI
Jayden Malone | 1 double, 1 RBI
Chris Casey | 1 single, 1 RBI, 1 hit by pitch
Colton Williams | 1 walk
Elliot Seckman | 1 single, 1 RBI
Jake Stewart | 1 stolen base

COUGAR PITCHING
Kaiser Quick (W) | 7 innings, 7 hits, 2 earned runs, 0 walks, 6 strikeouts

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ Lewis & Clark Trailblazers (25-23, 13-15)
Sunday, April 27th - 12:00 PM (DH)
at Gordon F. Moore Park - Alton, IL