BB: CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin

[Mr. Ypsi]

After 3, IWU 3, Wheaton 0.  Loser goes home; winner plays again this afternoon.

[mwunder]

After 3, IWU 3, Wheaton 0.  Loser goes home; winner plays again this afternoon.

No Live Video of the conference tournament??  AGAIN?

[Mr. Ypsi]

IWU breaks their seven game losing streak in grand fashion, sending Wheaton home for the season by an 11-0 score.

NCC vs. Augie is just about to get started.  IWU will play the loser of this game later this afternoon.

[Mr. Ypsi]

After 6, Augie 3, NCC 1.

[iwumichigander]

Augie 4 NCC 3. final
Wheaton eliminated , IWU versus NCC in 3rd game with winner facing Augie Saturday

[Mr. Ypsi]

Quite the pitchers' duel in the final game of the day.  After six, NCC 1, IWU 0.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Final: NCC 2, IWU 0.  The Titans started the bottom of the 9th with 2 straight singles, then the runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch.  But, alas, they remained there for the remainder of the game.

[Gregory Sager]

I was fortunate enough to get to my car yesterday afternoon just in time to hear the WONC call of Sotiros' walk off hit. William Dawes, who was doing play by play, was kind enough to share:

https://twitter.com/woncsports/status/862837321565077504

Nicely done! William Dawes is vastly better than WONC's softball broadcasters. Those guys were so awful that they practically made my ears bleed. I had to turn them off after a half-inning.

[AndOne]

An outstanding effort by Wesleyan's Braden Miller today that normally could be expected to result in a victory. It took a superlative performance by North Central's Evan Blunk to best him, and that is exactly what Mr. Blunk produced.

[Mr. Ypsi]

An outstanding effort by Wesleyan's Braden Miller today that normally could be expected to result in a victory. It took a superlative performance by North Central's Evan Blunk to best him, and that is exactly what Mr. Blunk produced.

I definitely tip my cap to Evan Blunk - 8+ innings of shutout pitching (and only 4 hits until a lead-off single chased him in the 9th).

When the Titans led off the 9th with two singles, and the runners advanced to 2nd and 3rd on a wild pitch), I definitely had visions of avenging the first game of the tourney (NCC had 3 runs in bottom of the 9th for a comeback 11-10 win over IWU) - especially since Pat Mollo led the conference with 9 HRs, and the following two batters were no power slouches (9 combined HRs).  I figured at least sending it to extra innings, and, ideally, a walk-off HR.  Alas, reliever Nick Rogalski (despite making that wild pitch) was otherwise perfect and the Titans never scored.

The Titan season, which seemed so promising just two weeks ago when they were 13-5 in conference play and cruising to a title, came to a crushing halt.  The Titans suffer some big-time graduation losses, but the future nevertheless looks bright: BOTH starting pitchers today (Jim O'Brien, with a complete-game shutout over Wheaton, and Braden Miller, who as AndOne correctly noted pitched well enough to deserve a win) are freshmen!   Nevertheless, they do graduate FIVE pitchers: Coonan, Vlk, Acklin, Huskisson, and Henry.  The graduation of Jarrod Juskiewicz at SS and (especially) Pat Mollo at Catcher leave a couple of big holes at very key positions.  Seth Palmby is the only returner listed as a catcher - his stats are not promising, but I'll reserve judgement.  As to replacements for Jarrod, who knows - the roster just lists IF, not specific positions.

IF they have adequate depth on pitching, and IF they adequately fill the SS and C positions, they should be competing for the title again next season.

[Gregory Sager]

especially since Pat Mollo led the conference with 9 HRs

Nope. Ben Havel had 10. Mollo did end up in a three-way tie for the HR title in CCIW play, as he, Brett Albaugh, and A.J. Johnson each had seven.

[mr_b]

In the first game today, North Central took a 10-0 lead into the bottom of the 5th before Augie started chipping away to take an 11-10 lead after 8 innings.  North Central came back with 2 in the 9th (on a 2-out, 3-2 count) for a 12-11 lead.  Augie had one on with one out in the bottom of the 9th but the game ended on a double play.

[Gregory Sager]

That was quite an interesting Game Six of the CCIW tourney. North Central blew what had been a 10-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, as Augustana scored 11 unanswered runs. But, down by a run with two outs in the top of the ninth, John Carmody singled home a pair of runs for the Cardinals, and NCC made it stand up in the bottom of the ninth to get the win and force a deciding Game Seven this afternoon.

[mr_b]

That was quite an interesting Game Six of the CCIW tourney. North Central blew what had been a 10-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, as Augustana scored 11 unanswered runs. But, down by a run with two outs in the top of the ninth, John Carmody singled home a pair of runs for the Cardinals, and NCC made it stand up in the bottom of the ninth to get the win and force a deciding Game Seven this afternoon.

The bullpens for both teams must be running on fumes.

[mr_b]

That was quite an interesting Game Six of the CCIW tourney. North Central blew what had been a 10-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth, as Augustana scored 11 unanswered runs. But, down by a run with two outs in the top of the ninth, John Carmody singled home a pair of runs for the Cardinals, and NCC made it stand up in the bottom of the ninth to get the win and force a deciding Game Seven this afternoon.

The bullpens for both teams must be running on fumes.

And right on cue: the Cardinals start Michael Mallon (0-1, 11.08 ERA), and he gives up a grand slam in the first inning.  Augie leads 5-0 with only one out in the top of the first.