CHICAGO – The University of Chicago baseball team had its four-game winning streak snapped by Illinois College on Sunday afternoon by scores of 2-0 and 10-7.

The Maroons fell to 5-4 on the season while the Blueboys moved to 3-9. The doubleheader games were scheduled for seven innings each.

Game One – Illinois College 2, UChicago 0

Sunday's weather played a factor throughout the proceedings. While the sun was shining, temperatures were in the mid-40s with constant wind blowing out to left field between 10-20 MPH. The gusting winds made every fly ball dramatic in the first couple hours.

The only runs in the opening game came in the top of the third inning. Illinois College put runners on the corners and capitalized on a throwing error to plate the man from third. A balk by the pitcher brought in the second tally.

Offense proved hard to come by for both teams. IC starting pitcher Griffin King was ahead in the count all afternoon, pounding the zone throughout, which prompted Maroon hitters to take swings frequently on first and second pitches. UChicago totaled seven hits in the contest, but couldn't push a run across. The hosts reached third base in the first and fourth innings before coming up empty. On the other side, the Blueboys were limited to five hits.

First-year Truman Pierson went 1-for-2 in the leadoff spot with two walks drawn. UChicago struggled defensively with four errors committed.

Sophomore Tyler Sarkisian (0-1 record) made the start on the mound, pitching 5.2 innings. He struck out seven batters to go with two unearned runs, five hits and two walks. Senior David Clarke tossed a perfect 1.1 innings with no base runners allowed.

Game Two – Illinois College 10, UChicago 7

Unearned runs bit the Maroons early in game two. Illinois College pushed through three runs in the top of the second on an error, a double and a sacrifice bunt. However, the Maroons responded in kind in the bottom of the frame. Sophomore Blane Soper dropped a double just inside the right field line to knock in one, then scored two batters later on a throwing error. Pierson added an RBI groundout to tie the game at 3-3.

Soper was at the center of the action again in the bottom of the third. With runners on second and third, the sophomore outfielder laced a single to center field to score both.

The 5-3 lead held until the top of the fifth, when the Blueboys launched a two-run homer over the left field fence. Once again, UChicago had an answer. Fifth-year senior Payton Jancsy led off the bottom of the fifth by doubling down the left field line, then stole third base. Junior Carson Weekley walked and stole second as well to put runners in scoring position. Soper came up clutch with a single up the middle that scored Jancsy and Weekley. UChicago nearly added to its 7-5 advantage, but a bizarre snafu on the base paths ended the inning prematurely.

Illinois College had the final say with five runs in the top of the sixth, which included a three-run double. Now facing a 10-7 deficit, UChicago was able to load the bases in the bottom of the sixth with a single, a hit-by-pitch and a walk. But IC escaped the jam unscathed and finished off the win one inning later.

Soper led the offensive attack by going 3-for-3 with five RBI. Jancsy went 2-for-3 in the batter's box. His unbridled aggression on the base paths saw him steal four bases in the game, increasing his season total to 10. Weekley drew three walks and recorded two steals. UChicago finished with seven hits, eight stolen bases and three errors.

Sophomore Dylan White threw the opening four innings. His pitching line included six strikeouts, four hits, three unearned runs and one walk. Five relievers divided up the remaining three innings, including sophomore Matthew Guyton (1 IP, 2 R); sophomore Sam Boswell (1 R); first-year Dean Casey (4 R); sophomore Hayden Brotz; and fifth-year senior Grant Stone (1 IP). Casey took the loss to drop to 0-1.

NEXT GAMES:

• Saturday, April 10 @ 12:00 PM – UChicago at Ripon College (DH)