GRANGER, Ind. – The Indiana University South Bend baseball team opened Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference play with a 14-4 victory over Lincoln College at Rex Weade Stadium on Wednesday, March 17. Moving to 5-10 on the season, the Titans are now winners of four straight.
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For the second consecutive game and its fourth in the last seven games, IU South Bend registered double-digit hits as the Titans' 14 runs came on 14 hits. Senior Logan Young connected on three hits (3-for-5) while freshman Taj Abdur-Rahman went a perfect 3-for-3 and junior Jake Vanderwoude added two hits. Abdur-Rahman and Young notched two RBIs each.
Reigning CCAC Player of the Week, TJ DeHerrera, finished where he left off as the senior finished the day 1-for-1 with his sixth home run of the season to go along with four RBIs and two walks.
Jaidyn Morris was exceptional on the mound in his conference debut donning the Crimson and Cream. The freshman struck out three, allowing just two hits after tossing 3.1 innings to earn his second career win. Matt Lood earned the start and tossed 3.2 innings that saw four runs off five hits with two strikeouts. Senior Matt Smith pitched the final frame that was highlighted by one strikeout.
IUSB took control first with DeHerrera's two-run bomb to center field that put the Titans up 2-0 in the first.
The Lynx responded in the third and fourth with two runs in both innings but two Titan runs in the third and an Abdur-Rahman fourth-inning double down the left field line that drove in Connor Wise gave IUSB the slight 5-4 edge through four frames.
Vanderwoude's single through the left side got the offense exploding in the bottom of the sixth. The Titans registered a game-high five runs in the inning off three hits to put the score at 10-4, IUSB.
IU South Bend expanded its six-run lead to 14-4 after two runs apiece in both the seventh and eighth to seal the conference opening victory. After catcher Scott Stetz drew a walk in the bottom of the eighth, Vanderwoude followed it up with a single to left center forcing Stetz to third. A third baseman error allowed Nolan Lorenz to reach first as the Titan base runners came across home plate to finish off the win.Â
IUSB remains at home for a doubleheader with CCAC foe Saint Xavier Saturday, March 20. The conference clash gets underway at 1 p.m. at Rex Weade Stadium in Granger, Ind.
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