Sophomore hurler
AJ Parnell tossed an absolute gem as the Beloit College baseball team blanked a solid Illinois Wesleyan squad 8-0 Tuesday morning in the RussMatt Invitational in Auburndale, Florida.
Parnell went the distance scattering seven hits while striking out eight and walking two in nine innings of work to capture his first win of the season. The Buccaneer defense was solid behind Parnell allowing just one runner to advance to third in the contest.
The Bucs' offense gave Parnell all the support he would need belting 16 hits in the game despite facing the majority of the Titans' bullpen in the contest. IWU pitched by committee in the game sending nine pitchers to the mound.
Beloit's bats continued their hot streak with 11 hits in the first three innings including nine hits that plated seven runs in the second and third frames. In the second, the flood gates opened for the Bucs with two outs in the inning.
Drew Freitag opened the flurry with a single to left center.
Matt Crandall singled to left and
Nick Schmidt drove in the first run of the game with the Bucs' third consecutive base knock.
Bronson Balholm drew a walk and
James Wicker capitalized with anotheer single to left center that brought in two more to make it 3-0 Beloit.
Deven Irwin kept the ball rolling in the top of the third drawing a one-out walk. Freitag tagged anothere single to put runners on the corners and Freitag swiped second in the next at bat to put both Bucs in scoring position. Crandall notched another single to left field scoring one and Freitag came in to score on Schmidt's RBi bunt single to make it 5-0. Crandall stole third and touched home on a sacrifice fly from Balholm before Wicker put the finishing touch on the frame with an RBI double to left center to give the Bucs a 7-0 lead.
Beloit cruised the rest of the way to register the big win.
Wicker was 4-5 at the plate with three RBI while Freitag,
Garrison Ferone, Crandall and Schmidt added mutiple hits in the game.
The Bucs, now 4-1 on the season, will continue play in the RussMatt Invitational Thursday against Nebraska Wesleyan. Game time is slated for 9:15 a.m.
