MARION, Ind. -- When the lights came on for the first time this season the Indiana Wesleyan University baseball team turned it on to the tune of a 7-2 triumph in the second game of a doubleheader with Huntington (Ind.) University at Wildcat Field.
The twinbill was originally scheduled for a 1 p.m. start but was pushed back to 6 p.m. due to the rain showers in the morning. Huntington won the opener 6-1 for a doubleheader split.
Indiana Wesleyan (15-23, 6-8 MCC) outhit Huntington 10-to-3 under the lights and received hits from seven different players.
The big hit for the Wildcats came in the third inning. Rightfielder Derek Freds came up to bat with two men on in a 1-1 ballgame. Freds quickly changed that for good with a 3-run jack to deep left center field for a 4-1 lead.
That was all the runs starting pitcher Michael Caley would need. Caley allowed a pair of unearned runs in the complete game victory. He scattered three hits and had no walks with four punch outs.
Third baseman Jonathan Bastian continues to hit well for the Wildcats as he contrib
uted a 2-for-3 game with two runs scored. Designated hitter Quinn Nofziger and catcher Alex Ridlen each had two singles while leftfielder Craig Dollens, centerfielder CJ Sandmann and first baseman Kyle Beach each finished 1-for-3 with a run scored in the victory. Nofziger and Dollens each had stolen bases.
Huntington (9-18, 6-6 MCC) captured the win in game one 6-1 behind a solid pitching performance from Mitch Bowers. He allowed one run in seven innings with three strikeouts.
Indiana Wesleyan had chances all game long with eight hits. But IWU would leave eight men stranded after scoring the first run of the game in the first innings.
Nofziger led off for the Wildcats with a single. He would steal second and third base before scoring on a sac fly off the bat of Ridlen. Unfortunately, that was the only run of the game for IWU.
Huntington answered in the top of the second with four runs, three unearned after two errors in the inning. HU tacked on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings for the win.
Jeremy Worrell went the distance and surrendered six runs - three earned - on nine hits.
Pacing the Indiana Wesleyan offense in the contest was second baseman Brice Davis, Dollens and Beachy. Each player was 2-for-3 at the plate to account for 75-percent of the IWU hits.
Indiana Wesleyan returns to the diamond on Tuesday, April 12 with a home doubleheader versus Grace (Ind.) College. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Wildcat Field.
Click for box scores: Game 1 | Game 2
