Bandstra’s Strong Start, Flawless Defense Guide Illiana Christian Past Lincoln-Way Central 3-1

The Illiana Christian varsity baseball team bounced back in the back half of its Saturday schedule, combining timely hitting with flawless defense to defeat host Lincoln-Way Central 3-1 in a five-inning non-conference tilt.

Senior S. Bandstra set the tone on the mound for the visiting Vikings. The right-hander navigated four strong innings, scattering four hits and allowing just one earned run while striking out three to earn the win. Freshman Tyler Hutton slammed the door in the bottom of the fifth, tossing a perfect 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout to secure the save.

After two scoreless frames to open the contest, Illiana Christian broke the deadlock in the top of the third inning. The Vikings pushed across a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead, aided by the offensive execution of sophomore Emmitt Wondaal and senior Micah McGuire, who both recorded RBIs in the contest. Senior Nick Deblock paced the Illiana lineup, finishing 2-for-3 with a run scored, while junior Seth Striggow went 1-for-2, scored a run, and added a stolen base.

Lincoln-Way Central struggled to find a consistent rhythm offensively and was hampered by three costly fielding errors that extended innings for the Vikings. The Knights did manage to string together four hits on the afternoon and briefly cut the deficit in half with a single run in the bottom of the fourth inning.

However, Illiana Christian—playing pristine, error-free baseball in the field—immediately responded with an insurance run in the top of the fifth to re-establish a two-run cushion and seal the 3-1 victory.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Scored by Innings)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— |
| Illiana Christian | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | – | – | 3 | 5 | 0 |
| Lincoln-Way Central | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 4 | 3 |

Scoring Drives

(Note: Scoring by Innings)

• 3rd Inning

  • Illiana Christian: Scratched across 2 runs to break a scoreless tie and take a 2-0 lead.

• 4th Inning

  • Lincoln-Way Central: Plated 1 run to cut the deficit to 2-1.

• 5th Inning

  • Illiana Christian: Added an insurance run to extend the advantage to 3-1.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Illiana Christian: Nick Deblock 2-3 (1 R); Emmitt Wondaal 1-3 (1 RBI); Micah McGuire 1-3 (1 RBI); Seth Striggow 1-2 (1 R, 1 SB); Tanner Post 0-1 (1 BB, 1 HBP). Team LOB: 8.

• Lincoln-Way Central: Stats not provided. (Team Totals: 4 Hits).

PITCHING:

• Illiana Christian: S. Bandstra (W) – 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K; Tyler Hutton (SV) – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K.

• Lincoln-Way Central: Stats not provided. (Team Totals: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 6 K).

FIELDING:

• Illiana Christian: 0 Errors.

• Lincoln-Way Central: 3 Errors.