Illinois College splits season-opening doubleheader with St. Scholastica at Joe Brooks Field

Finley Spicer went 3-for-4 with five RBIs, yet Illinois College erupted for 22 runs in a 22-10 opener at Joe Brooks Field, only to drop the nightcap 6-5 to the College of St. Scholastica on Feb. 20, 2026. The Blueboys and Saints split the season-opening doubleheader in Jacksonville, giving fans both a slugfest and a dramatic walk-off finish.

Game one was a run parade for Illinois College as the Blueboys scored in six of seven innings en route to a 22-10 final. D3baseball’s box score shows Illinois College totaled 17 hits and committed 2 errors while St. Scholastica finished with 13 hits and 7 errors; Duluth News Tribune reported the Saints had 12 hits and three home runs in the opener. Sangamon Sun noted, “The Blueboys won the first game decisively, scoring 22 runs on 17 hits for a 22-10 victory.” In the seventh, “N. Muskopf doubled, 2 RBI; N. Walker scored; A. Loman scored. | 22 - 9,” per D3baseball play-by-play, and later “L. Krull singled to right field, RBI; F. Spicer advanced to second; T. Tiedeman scored. | 22 - 10.”

Illinois College’s offensive engine featured Muskopf, Barker, Gross, Nathan Walker, Adam Turner and A. Loman with multi-contributions across the opener and nightcap, while St. Scholastica’s Finley Spicer provided a major counterpoint with a five-RBI day. Duluth’s recap added that the Saints belted three homers in game one, a factor that kept the scoreboard closer than the Blueboys’ run total might suggest.

The nightcap unfolded as a comeback and counterpunch. Illinois College jumped out early when Wade Sabo delivered an RBI single and an error produced a second run in the first inning. Sangamon Sun reported the Blueboys led 5-1 through four innings “following contributions from Adam Turner and Ketch Mills,” but the Saints answered with a three-run fourth and tied the game in the fifth on a solo home run. Tommy Crupi finished 2-for-3 with an RBI for St. Scholastica in the second game.

The seventh inning delivered the decisive sequence in game two. Duluth News Tribune described the finish: “After Luke Krull was hit by a pitch to lead off the seventh inning, advanced to second on a wild pitch and was pinch-run for, the game-winning run scored as Ben Schefers hit into an infield error.” Duluth summarized the result: “St. Scholastica rallied from 5-1 down to win for the first time this season on its second attempt, earning a 6-5 walk-off victory over Illinois College in the second game of a doubleheader in Jacksonville, Illinois on Friday.”

On the mound for Illinois College in game two, Anthony Buonaura started and struck out five batters over four innings, Sangamon Sun reported. Beyond Buonaura, detailed pitching lines were not available in the game summaries provided. Sangamon Sun also noted weather intervened the following day: Illinois College’s scheduled game against Coe College was canceled due to weather. The Blueboys are set to travel next weekend to Millikin University in Decatur for a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m., followed by a 3:00 p.m. matchup against Aurora University as they continue their Midwest Conference, NCAA Division III slate.