JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The College of St. Scholastica baseball team opened the 2026 season with a split against Illinois College on Thursday afternoon, rallying for a 6-5 win in game two after dropping the opener 22-10. The Saints were listed as the home team in both contests despite the games being played at Joe Brooks Field.
Game 1 – Illinois College 22, St. Scholastica 10
Illinois College used a six-run second inning and a pair of late offensive surges to pull away in the opener, but the Saints showed resilience at the plate with 12 hits and three home runs in the loss.
After falling behind 7-0 early, St. Scholastica answered with two runs in the second inning. F. Spicer delivered a two-run single to score G. Swenson and T. Tiedeman and get the Saints on the board.
The Saints continued to battle back in the fourth. M. Isaiah launched a solo home run before L. Krull followed with a two-run blast to cut the deficit to 9-5. An inning later, St. Scholastica put together its biggest rally of the game. M. Isaiah drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, and Spicer connected for a three-run homer to bring the Saints within 13-9.
Spicer finished 3-for-4 with five RBI and a home run, while Krull went 2-for-5 with three RBI and a homer. Tiedeman scored three runs and added two hits, and B. Schefers contributed a pair of hits.
Illinois College capitalized on seven Saints errors and plated six runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to secure the season-opening victory.
Game 2 – St. Scholastica 6, Illinois College 5
The Saints bounced back in dramatic fashion in game two, scoring three runs in the fourth and tying the game in the fifth before walking it off in the seventh for a 6-5 win.
Illinois College jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning, but the Saints responded in the second when T. Crupi singled home T. Tiedeman to cut the deficit in half.
Trailing 5-1 in the fourth, St. Scholastica's bats came alive. B. Schefers led off the inning with a solo home run, and O. Maslowski followed with a two-run homer to bring the Saints within one. In the fifth, D. Vera delivered a solo shot to even the score at 5-5.
The Saints bullpen settled in from there. After starter L. Price worked 2.2 innings, B. Bullis, J. Holley, L. Kamon and J. Stoeckle combined to hold Illinois College scoreless over the final 4.1 innings. Stoeckle earned the win with a clean seventh inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, L. Krull was hit by a pitch and later advanced into scoring position. After a pinch runner entered, Schefers reached on an error by the Illinois College shortstop, allowing the winning run to score and sealing the 6-5 victory.
Maslowski and Schefers each homered in the win, while Vera added his second long ball of the day. The Saints totaled six hits and drew six walks in the nightcap.
Due to fading daylight at Joe Brooks Field, the final inning of game two was moved and completed under the lights at Future Champions Field, adding a unique finish to the season-opening series.
With the split, St. Scholastica begins the 2026 campaign at 1-1. The Saints were originally scheduled to play UW-Stout on Saturday, February 21, but the game has been postponed due to weather.
