Middle Innings Lift Illinois College Past Baseball

Blueboys tally five runs in the middle three innings to break open a close game in a 15-7 win; Jake Samela drives in three for the Leopards

Middle Innings Lift Illinois College Past Baseball
March 4, 2025

DAVENPORT, Fla. – Scoring five runs over the middle three innings, the Illinois College baseball team (4-3) broke open a tight game and defeated Wentworth Institute of Technology (1-4), 15-7, on Tuesday morning.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

  • With two out in the top of the first inning, Illinois College extended the inning after a Wentworth error. A pair of singles followed to load the bases, however, Jack Titley induced a groundout to end the threat and the inning.
  • In the bottom of the first, Wentworth took a 1-0 lead. Christian Roncal opened the inning with a walk and went to second on an errant throw on a pickoff attempt. After moving to third on a wild pitch, he scored when Matthew Favazzo singled.
  • The Blueboys scored three times in the top of the second, using three singles to load the bases, scoring on a sacrifice fly, scoring on a balk, and using an RBI groundout to score the third run. The Leopards got a run back in the bottom of the second, trimming the lead to 3-2.  John Golebieski led off with a double, and, with two outs, came around to score on a Roncal single.
  • Using a pair of ground-rule doubles, Illinois College plated three runs in the third inning and led, 6-2. However, the Black Gold got two back in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 6-4. Jake Samela delivered an RBI single to plate Favazzo and Samela scored when Golebieski reached on a fielder's choice.
  • A pair of two-run singles in the fourth inning extended the Blueboys' lead to 10-4 before Wentworth got a pair back in the home half of the inning on a Favazzo triple and a Samela groundout.
  • An Illinois College sacrifice fly in the fifth inning made it 11-6, while Samela grounded out to score Prisco in the sixth inning, making it 11-7.
  • The Blueboys scored two runs in the seventh and ninth innings to round out the scoring.
  • Favazzo went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple and drove in two runs. DiPina rapped out a pair of hits, while Samela drove in three runs. Titley took the loss in his collegiate debut.

ALL-TIME SERIES:

  • Today was the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

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