ELGIN, IL.- The Indiana University South Bend Titans (5-14, 1-1 CCAC) split a pair of games with Judson University (4-11, 1-1 CCAC). IU South Bend won game one by a score of 9-5 before falling in game two 10-5.
Game 1
The Judson Eagles started the scoring in the second inning of game one in Wednesday’s doubleheader, pushing across three runs on just one hit against Titans starter Gabe Cortez before Head Coach Doug Buysse called upon left handed pitcher Josh Chajet for relief. Chajet escaped a jam in the 2nd, leaving a runner stranded on third base before throwing a 1-2-3 third inning.
The Titans offense erupted for seven runs in the fourth inning thanks to five hits and two walks. Kole Miller doubled down the line to score Owen Benson and Brenden Bell and get the Titans on the board.
A Devin Smith two RBI single plated Kole Miller and Anthony Pohl to give the Titans a 4-3 lead.
An error by Judson third baseman plated another run for the Titans, followed by a two RBI double from Brenden Bell to extend the IU South Bend lead to 7-3.
Judson scratched across one unearned run in the sixth inning off of winning pitcher Sam Hinshaw before sophomore Jack Kienzle came in and escaped a bases loaded nobody out jam without allowing a run.
Two more insurance runs thanks to RBI singles from Logan Smith and Kaleb Farnham capped off the scoring for the Titans as they took a 9-4 lead into the seventh inning.
The Judson Eagles scored one in the seventh before Kienzle shut the door, earning his first save of the year and giving the Titans their first CCAC victory of 2023.
Game 2
IU South Bend struck first in game two plating a run in the top of the first inning as a Kaleb Farnham double plated leadoff hitter Logan Smith.
An RBI groundout by Devin Smith scored another run in the second to give the Titans a 2-0 lead.
Starting pitcher Payton Carney went 1-2-3 in the first inning before running into trouble in the second. With the based loaded and nobody out, Carney induced a 6-4-3 double play followed by a fly out to center field to limit the Judson scoring to only one run.
Judson scored three times in the third inning to give themselves a 4-2 lead heading into the fourth inning.
A fifth inning solo homerun by Devin Smith brought IU South Bend within one run at a score of 4-3.
The Titans tied game tied two at 4-4 on a Brenden Bell fielder’s choice that plated Logan Smith.
The Judson Eagles broke the game open in the eighth inning, thanks to six hits that scored six runs and found the Titans down 10-4 headed in to the final frame.
Brett Sikorski’s RBI single capped off the scoring for IU South Bend, as they fell in game two of the doubleheader by a score of 10-5.
The Indiana University South Bend Titans return to action on Friday, March 17th, when they travel to Chicago, Ill., for a nine inning game against CCAC opponent Saint Xavier University.