Millikin Wins Baseball Series Over Carroll

The Millikin baseball team took down College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foe Carroll University in a doubleheader on April 13 at Sunnyside Park in Decatur 7-0 and 12-1.

Millikin used a combination of hard hitting and a continued string of strong starting pitching to secure its third CCIW series victory of the season. The Millikin pitching staff was able to hold the Pioneers to just one run on the day on nine hits, with Adam Zuk (Plainfield, Plainfield North H.S.) and Ben Williamson (Farmer City, Blue Ridge H.S.) earning the victories in games one and two, respectfully.

Mason Bruce (Decatur, Mt. Zion H.S.) started the day for the Big Blue in the bottom of the first inning, clearing the bases with a three RBI double, and Millikin did not trail the rest of the day. Gabe Soria (Naperville, Naperville Central H.S.) had two hits in game one for Millikin, one of which was an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth inning, part of another three-run inning for the Big Blue. Anthony Bryan (Plainfield, Plainfield Central H.S.) was 2-5 in game one and added a single in the eighth inning that scored Soria. Zuk gave Millikin eight innings of four-hit baseball, striking out seven and walking just one. He turned the ball over to Ryan Dobey (St. Charles, Mo., Francis Howell North H.S.) for the top of the ninth inning, and he retired the side in order with three strikeouts.

Game two provided much of the same for both the Millikin offense and defense. Jon Walters (Normal, Central Catholic H.S.) gave the Big Blue the lead on a deep sacrifice fly to center field that scored Anthony Bryan. Walters was 1-2 in the game with two RBI, his second coming in the bottom of the third inning, which also scored Bryan. Millikin capped off the scoring and secured the series victory with a 10 run fifth inning, which was driven by three run homeruns by Bruce and Brent Beals (Effingham, H.S.). Beals was 2-4 in the game and scored two runs for the Big Blue. Starting pitcher Williamson was dominant on the mound, going six innings and giving up just one run on four hits. He turned the ball over to Beals in the seventh inning, and he secured the mercy rule victory for Millikin. Connor Gross (Bement, H.S.) was the tough luck losing pitcher for Millikin despite throwing all nine innings allowing just five hits and one run. Beals led the Millikin attack, going 2-4 on the day.

The Big Blue lost to North Central College 12-6 on April 10 at home. Trailing 6-1, Millikin responded with a four-run inning in the bottom of the third to make it 6-5, thanks in part to a three-run homerun by Bruce. Kyle Kane (Westmont, Lewis University) was 2-4 on the day with two runs scored. Frank Bryan (Plainfield, Plainfield Central H.S.) contributed two more hits and was 2-5.