Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

RANTOUL, Ill. – Whether it was on the mound, or in the batter's box, the Duhawks found a way to provide impactful plays left and right, paving the way for a 5-0 weekend in the Land of Lincoln.

Game One
Out of the gates Daniel Giusto was fired up, and that channeled energy benefited the Duhawks in a multitude of ways. Not only did Giusto put together a seven-strikeout performance, but he also only allowed three hits and not a single runner came across to score for Wisconsin Lutheran (1-2, 0-0 NACC). It was an ideal outing for a Loras (3-3, 0-0 A-R-C) team that was building momentum with their pitchers following a shutout of Northland College.

There was no shortage of noise off the Duhawk bats either, as Trevor Segraves delivered three hits and two RBI and Cody Sunny cranked two doubles and three RBI. Colin Kissane crushed a two-run home run to left field that likely landed in Galena, Ill. The combo of Patrick Hayes and Johnny Dwyer also combined for two hits and 2 RBI. It was Hayes' first career hit in the Purple & Gold.

Harry Young would close out the game for Loras, and the Duhawks found themselves above .500 for the first time this season.
 
Game Two
How about the evening from Austin Sheldon? Despite four walks, the Senior from Washington state found a way out of trouble every time, and his four strikeouts and one hit allowed was all the support Loras needed to stay in control.

While Sheldon held off the Vikings, Loras' position players fired an all-out assault on the Augustana (2-3, 0-0 CCIW) pitchers. In the first, Segraves picked up right where he left off, launching a double. Two batters find their way on via walks, and Junior Vince Polizzi laced a single into left, scoring Segraves and Sunny in the process. Justin Gutierrez duplicates the result, scoring Kissane.

In the second, Jake Zeal singled, and Sunny showed off his unmatched athleticism by knocking a triple into the right field corner. Kissane then ricocheted the first pitch to score Sunny, and the Dirty Birds had now officially opened the game up.

The Vikings tried to string together a comeback, but it was too little, too late for the visitors from Rock Island. The Duhawks got one more run, and the trio of Andrew Krause, Casey Kedzierski, and Dylan Ackermann closed the game out.

What If…
This is something the Loras baseball team will not be asking themselves after a dominating team performance over the weekend. The total stood at 64 runs scored for the Duhawks, and they only allowed 12. Lastly, the shutout on Saturday means Aidan Wojciehowski's pitching staff, along with Brock Booth, may be allowed batting practice. What a time to be alive!

On Deck: The Purple and Gold travel to Iowa City, Iowa for a makeup game against the Hawkeyes. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.