Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3 | Box Score 4 The Hawks baseball team continued conference play this weekend with a four-game series against the Cougars of Illinois Central College. The Cougars came into the weekend with a record of 5-5 (2-2) after finishing the 2021 season with a record of 24-30. The Hawks, sitting alone atop the MWAC standings, came into the weekend with a record of 16-6 (8-0).

Game one of the weekend was dominated by sophomore starter, Reese Dutton. The USC-Upstate commit struck out thirteen batters as he threw all seven innings of game one. Dutton allowed just three hits and one earned run as he earned his third win of the season. 

Bryce Brown led the offense in game one with three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored. Hitting his fifth homerun of the season was Ben Hartl, who also chipped in a pair of RBIs and three runs scored. The Hawks would eventually take home a 9-1 win in game one. 

In Friday's night cap freshman Jason Buhl would get the ball for his first MWAC start. Buhl would go four innings for the Hawks while allowing just one run on three hits. Buhl fanned seven as he took home his third win of the season. Coming in relief for Buhl and throwing three perfect innings was sophomore Mitchel Sampson. Recording the final nine outs of the game, eight via the strikeout, Sampson earned his second save of the season as the Hawks took home a 7-1 win.

Sophomores Jeremy Figueroa and Riley Rundquist each chipped in a pair of RBIs in game two. Bobby Atkinson would smash a solo homerun, his sixth of the season. 

After a day of rest, the Hawks would hit the road for the second half of the series. 

In game one of Sunday's double-header the Hawks would trail by one heading to the fifth inning. However, the Hawks would score eight unanswered runs in the final three innings to earn themselves of 11-4 win. 

Freshman Meade Johnson threw 5.1 innings for the Hawks in the game. Johnson allowed just two runs as he struck out six. Johnson would take home his team leading fourth win of the season as the Hawks secured the series win. The offense was led by Brown and Atkinson who each smashed a homerun and picked up 3 RBIs. Figueroa also cranked a solo homerun, his third of the season. 

In the final game of the series, the Hawks bats came out hot putting up four runs in the first inning and eight in the second. The Hawks only need five innings in the series finale to take home the 14-1 win and series sweep. In the final game of the weekend, Atkinson drove in five runs as he smashed his eighth and ninth homerun of the season. Figueroa, picking up his fifth hit of the day, drove in four runs. Sophomore Connor Aten started on the bump for the Hawks and threw four innings. Aten allowed just one hit and one run through his four innings of work. Aten also picked up his third win of the season as he struck out six. Teague Conrad threw the final inning of the weekend, not allowing a base-runner and picking up a strikeout. 

With their third straight MWAC series sweep and twelfth win in a row the Hawks' record improves to 20-6 (12-0). The Hawks sit in sole possession of first-place in the MWAC with a series against Spoon River College on deck.

The Snappers finished their 2021 season with a record of 20-32 and currently sit in the middle of the MWAC standings with a record of 14-10 (3-5). The Hawks will travel to Canton on Friday for the first double-header against the Snappers. Friday's games are set for 1 and 3 PM. The Hawks will turn around and host the Snappers on Saturday for the second half of the series. Saturday's games are also set for 1 and 3 PM and can be streamed HERE. 

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