Millikin Baseball Qualifies For CCIW Tournament

DECATUR -- The Millikin baseball team swept its doubleheader against North Park University on April 28 at Sunnyside Park in Decatur. The two wins secured the Big Blue a spot in the upcoming College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament. Millikin's is now 19-16, 13-9.

Millikin won game one 11-15 and then won game two 10-9 in 12 innings.

In game one, the Big Blue scored in every inning until the seventh and it was enough to hold off a comeback effort by the Vikings in game one, leading by as many as ten runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Millikin set a new school record for homeruns in a game in with six. Jon Walters (Normal, Central Catholic H.S.) with two, Brent Beals (Effingham, H.S.), Mason Bruce (Decatur, Mt. Zion H.S.), Andrew Auton (Decatur, Mt. Zion H.S.), and Luke Azzarelli (Kankakee, Herscher H.S.) place themselves in the record book, eclipsing the previous mark of five set last season. Walters was 4-5 in game one, and Azzarelli was 3-3. Beal, Auton, and Bruce all added two RBI for the Big Blue.

Game two took 12 innings and saw big comeback innings for both teams, but Millikin was ultimately able to break through and get the walk-off win. Trailing 4-0, Millikin answered with a five run inning that featured a two run double by Frank Bryan (Plainfield, Plainfield East H.S.) and an RBI triple by his older brother Anthony Bryan (Plainfield, Plainfield East H.S.). After both teams tacked a run on in the fifth, Millikin's lead moved to 6-5, and a three-run inning for the Big Blue in the bottom of the seventh inning, highlighted by RBI singles by Bruce and Frank Bryan.

North Park rallied to tie the game with a four-run ninth inning, the Bryan brothers again came through for the Big Blue. Frank Bryan led off the inning with a triple, and after two intentional walks loaded the bases, Anthony Bryan struck a single through the left side of the infield to secure the series victory for Millikin.

Millikin lost to North Park 6-3 at home on April 27. Auton had two RBI in the game for the Big Blue.

The Big Blue defeated Elmhurst College 11-1 on April 24 at home completing a season sweep of the Bluejays. The Big Blue used multiple hit games from Beal (3-4), Walters (2-2), and Gabe Soria (Naperville, Naperville Central). Soria went 2-3 and scored three runs. Bruce had three RBI. Connor Gross (Bement, H.S.) earned his sixth win of the season for Millikin, going all seven innings of the mercy-rule shortened game recording seven strikeouts.

Millikin won at Greenville University 17-4 on April 23. The Big Blue pounded out 17 hits with Auton, Bruce and Soria each picking up three hits. Auton had two RBI. Azzarelli and Walters each had two hits and two RBI. Beals had three RBI and Frank Bryan homered to the Big Blue driving home two. Logan Talkington (Girard, North Mac H.S.) was the winning pitcher with two innings of hitless relief with five strikeouts.