JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Game 1 of the Midwest Conference baseball season was quite the battle between Cornell and defending MWC champion Illinois College Saturday at Joe Brooks Field.
 
The Rams gave up a one-out single with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning, giving Illinois College a hard-fought 3-2 victory. The walk-off hit to left field was the only lead of the day for the Blueboys, picked to win the MWC this season.
 
Cornell (3-9, 0-1 MWC) and the Blueboys (6-10, 1-0 MWC) will be back at it Sunday for a noon doubleheader on Illinois College's home field.
 
Colin Gierula bunted home Josiah Shaw to push the Rams ahead 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning. Illinois College struck twice in the bottom of the seventh and the scored remained locked at 2-2 into the 11th.
 
Illinois College put the winning run on base with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 11th. The runner moved to second on a wild pitch and took third on an errant pickoff attempt at second. After a strikeout, the Rams intentionally walked the next two batters after falling behind in the count, setting up Illinois College's winning hit.
 
Cornell starter Kole Hinrichsen tossed seven impressive innings, scattering only four singles and striking out seven. Aiden Rosenthal pitched a scoreless eighth, and Will Miller (0-2) allowed one hit and one run over the final 2.1 innings.
 
The Rams stranded the potential go-ahead run on third base in the eighth. They also left a runner on in the 10th and 11th frames.
 
Both teams finished with five hits apiece. Cornell's Alec Boldt doubled for the lone extra-base hit of the game. Gierula had two RBIs for Cornell, including a single that plated Darren Mancke in the fifth.