By Fred Kroner
Thursday (March 16) wasn’t the best day for baseball.
“Played in cold and rain, but got it in,” M-S coach Nic DiFilippo said.
The game itself wasn’t a masterpiece.
After scoring nine runs in the first two innings, the Bulldogs were held scoreless during the final five innings of a game at DuQuoin.
The 9-3 M-S victory, however, is not one that DiFilippo will soon forget.
It was career win No. 300 for the 20th-year M-S baseball head coach.
“It’s nice to get that milestone,” he said.
Alec Bergman and Mateo Casillas teamed up on a two-hitter.
Bergman worked five innings and allowed just one earned run. He walked one and struck out seven. Casillas pitched two scoreless innings and fanned two of the six batters he faced.
Offensively, seven Bulldogs had hits, no one had more than one.
Casillas and Blake Wolters each swatted doubles. Braden Houchin scored two runs and stole two bases. Wolters tallied two runs and swiped one base. Jake Waldinger knocked in two runs.
On Friday (March 17), Casillas and Wolters each reached base on all four plate appearances as the Bulldogs blanked Carbondale, 6-0, at John A. Logan Community College.
Wolters was 4-for-4 with two triples. Casillas was 2-for-2 and drew two walks from the lead-off position. Casillas scored two runs. Wolters tallied two runs and delivered two RBI.
Wolters stole three bases and Casillas swiped two bases. Carter Selk knocked in one run and also stole two bases.
On the mound, Mason Orton pitched six scoreless innings, yielding two hits. He walked one batter and fanned nine.
Cade Starrick completed the shutout, striking out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning and needing just 10 pitches to do so.
M-S (2-1) returns to action on Monday (March 20) at Danville before playing its home-opener on Tuesday (March 21) against Clinton.
