Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-7970

Box Score – Game 1
Box Score – Game 2

O'FALLON, Ill. (Feb. 28, 2020) – In the season opener, the Loras College baseball team (0-2) did its best to pull off a late comeback in the second game of the twin bill against the Wheaton College Thunder (2-0), but the Duhawks fell victim to the Thunders' offensive barrage in both games, falling 11-3 in the first game and 10-6 in the second.

In the lid lifter, the Duhawks quickly found themselves down 7-0 after Joel Pierce hit a grand slam to close out the top of the second inning, but Dylan Pardoe got on base off a fielding error and a single by Matt Gruszkowski helped get momentum for the offense. A double by Dakota Church helped Pardoe across home plate for Loras' first run of the game and the Duhawks closed out the inning with stellar base running to score three runs.

The Thunder did not let up and scored four more runs through the seventh inning, but the Duhawks kept Wheaton off the board in the final two innings. Bill Luzzo had three hits on four at-bats with one RBI and Church was 1-2 with one RBI.

Church flipped the script for Loras in game two with the first home run of the season into left field in the second inning, but the Thunder scored four runs in the fourth and fifth innings to lead 4-1. Luke Fenelly hit a single to shortstop to get on base in the seventh inning and advanced to second after Luzzo hit a single two batters later. Fennelly continued to make his way around the bases, advancing to third on a passed ball before crossing home play thanks to an RBI by Adam Metivier and cut Wheaton's lead, 5-2.

Wheaton scored five runs in the bottom of the seventh to answer back to Loras' one, but the Duhawks were not done fighting, as a single by Fennelly saw an added boost off an error by the right fielder, sending Church, Pardoe, and Max Cullen around the bases to tally four runs. The Thunder committed two errors in the inning.

Loras held Wheaton scoreless in the eighth inning with no runs, but the Thunder held the edge and handed the Duhawks the second loss of the day by a score of 10-6. Fennelly had three hits on five at-bats and Luzzo had three on his four trips to the plate.

The Duhawks play two games on Saturday, Feb. 29 with the first against Fontbonne University at noon and the second against the University of Chicago at 2:30 P.M. Games will take place at Windsor HS in Imperial, Mo.