PHOENIX, ARIZ. - Starting a season under the Arizona sun for a fourth straight year, the Madison College baseball team dropped their opener at Paradise Valley Community College by a 10-3 final Thursday. The #2 WolfPack - who arrived in desert early Thursday morning - allowed eight runs over the final three innings to the Pumas, who are receiving votes in the latest NJCAA Division II poll.

Madison College (0-1) struck first when freshman first baseman Ty Jandrowski doubled off the wall in center with two outs in the opening half inning, and then advanced to third on Kian O'Brien infield single. Bryce Plate stepped to the plate and stroked the first of his four hits on the day to plate Jandrowski.

Following a 1-2-3 inning by sophomore starter Clayton Uselman, the righthander served up a second inning leadoff home run to even the game. It was the first of three long balls allowed by WolfPack pitching.

The 'Pack got the lead right back thanks again to the combination of Jandrowski, O'Brien, and Plate. This time it was Jandrowski drawing a two-out walk and moving on to third when O'Brien doubled to right-centerfield. Plate tallied his second RBI with a single to left.

Paradise Valley - who was already playing its 23rd game of the season - smashed a second leadoff homer against Uselman in the next half inning and the game remained all square at two through five-and-one-half innings. Freshman Jake Kopp (0-1) came in in relief of Uselman and surrendered three runs in his first inning pitched of the season. The righthander walked his first batter faced and was taken deep by the second. A third run scored on a Kopp throwing error during a run down between second and third base after what started as a successfull pick off attempt. 

The Pumas (10-13) added two more runs in the seventh and capped the day with a three-run blast in the eight inning off second year hurler Jared Horton.

Bryce Plate factored in all three of the WolfPack's runs as he finished with four hits in five at-bats, two runs driven in, and one scored. Kian O'Brien collected two hits as the only other WolfPack player with multiple base knocks.

On the hill, Clayton Uselman went five innings and struck out three as part of a five-hit, two-run effort in his first start of the season (fifth of his career). Jake Kopp took the loss as PVCC tagged him for five runs, two of which were earned, on three hits in two innings of relief. Madison College pitching issued eight walks on the day.
 

Game Two of the Arizona Spring Trip is Friday at Scottsdale Community College (13-9). First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. Central Time.

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