SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – Indiana Wesleyan baseball showcased their offensive prowess in a doubleheader against Spring Arbor (on Thursday. The Wildcats secured a 7–5 victory in the first game and followed it up with a decisive 14-2 win in the second game, highlighted by a total of seven home runs across both contests. With 5 RBI in the first game, senior
Nick Wiley surpassed Lucas Goodin for the career record with 192. The victory in game one marked the 200th career win for head coach
Mathew Bair and the win in game two secured the fourth seed in the Crossroads League Tournament meaning the Wildcats will avoid single elimination play on April 29th, regardless of the results of Saturday's doubleheader.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Spring Arbor, Mich. | Burbridgel Field
- Records: IWU - 28-20, 21-13 | SAU - 23-21, 17-17
- Game One Score: IWU def. SAU 14-2
- Game Two Score: IWU def. SAU 7-5
- NAIA Rankings: IWU - NR | SAU - NR
GAME ONE RECAP
- Indiana Wesleyan powered past Spring Arbor with a commanding 14-2 victory at Burbridge Field. Indiana Wesleyan hit five home runs and recorded 16 hits, while Spring Arbor managed eight hits and committed three errors. The Wildcats responded to an early 1-0 deficit after the first inning with a strong second inning. Matthew Drozlek doubled, followed by Trevor Vojtkofsky's two-run homer. Ben Seitzinger's double set the stage for Nick Wiley's two-run homer, propelling Indiana Wesleyan to a 4-1 lead after two innings.
- The offensive momentum continued in the third as Braxton Brosmer homered. Drozlek was hit by a pitch and later scored on Wiley's second home run of the day, a three-run shot. The Wildcats led 8-1 after three innings.
- In the fourth, Greg Vineyard walked, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a throwing error, increasing the lead to 9-1. The Cougars managed one run in the fifth inning, but the red and grey countered with a run of its own on a wild pitch, maintaining a 10-2 advantage.
- Drozlek's two-run homer in the sixth added to the lead, making it 12-2. In the seventh, Vojtkofsky doubled in two more runs, capping off the scoring for IWU. The Wildcats held SAU scoreless in the final innings, securing the 14-2 win.
- Kevin Corcoran delivered a solid performance on the mound for Indiana Wesleyan, pitching 6 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits. He struck out 3 batters and issued 2 walks, throwing a total of 88 pitches, with 49 going for strikes. Tarick McGlothin came in as relief, pitching 1 inning and giving up 2 hits, with 10 of his 15 pitches being strikes. Corcoran improved his season record to 3-4.
KEY WILDCATS
- Nick Wiley - 2-4, 2 runs, 5 RBI, 2 HR
- Trevor Vojtkofsky - 2-4, 1 run, 4 RBI, HR
- Matthew Drozlek - 3-4, 3 runs, 2 RBI, HR
- Braxton Brosmer - 3-5, 3 runs, 2 RBI, HR
GAME TWO RECAP
- The red and grey emerged victorious in a close contest against the Cougars with a final score of 7–5. SAU took an early lead in the first inning when Connor Dee singled to score Connor Reed, bringing the score to 1–0 in favor of the home team.
- In the second inning, Nate Dutkowski extended the Cougars' lead with a solo home run, making it 2–0.
- IWU responded in the third inning as Carson Bush homered, reducing the deficit to 2–1. However, Spring Arbor added another run when Connor Reed scored on a fielder's choice, bringing their total to 3–1.
- The fourth inning saw Indiana Wesleyan take the lead. Jackson Mott, pinch running for Trevor Vojtkofsky, scored on Landon Ruoff's two-RBI double. Nick Wiley also crossed home plate on Greg Vineyard's single, giving the red and grey a 4–3 advantage.
- In the sixth inning, Landon Ruoff hit a solo home run to increase the lead. Greg Vineyard later scored on a sacrifice fly by Jay Tomes, and Braxton Brosmer drove in another run with a double, pushing the score to 7–3. The Cougars answered with Dutkowski's two-run homer, cutting the margin to 7–5.
- Noah Wathen pitched 5 innings, allowing 9 hits and 4 earned runs while recording 6 strikeouts and giving up 2 home runs. He threw a total of 87 pitches, 59 of which were strikes, and issued only 1 walk. Zach Troxel relieved Wathen and pitched 2 innings, conceding just 1 hit with 11 of his 15 pitches being strikes. Wathen's performance marked his sixth win of the season, improving his record to 6–3.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- IWU wrap up the regular season on Saturday against SAU at 1:00 PM.
- Links for live stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com.
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