Box Score

KANKAKEE, Ill. - The WolfPack scored just two runs in nine innings the first time they saw Elgin Community College on May 23. The WolfPack put up nine runs in the first inning the second time around against the same Spartans' team.

The big first inning and the double play were huge in the WolfPack victory. They turned a 6-4-3 double play to get out of a jam in the first inning and a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and win the Region IV Championship.

The nine runs scored in the first inning is the most the WolfPack scored in a single inning in the tournament and the 20 runs they scored in the 20-6 win were the most any team put up this week as well.

The energy in the dugout is what sparked things early and throughout the game for the WolfPack. The energy created in the dugout translated to their play on the field.

"Energy equals runs," said WolfPack outfielder Brett Sweger.

The WolfPack knocked out the Spartans starting pitcher, Anthony Campanella, after just 0.2 innings.

Madison College (44-13) added 11 more runs in the final eight innings and held the Spartans to just six runs in the game after the Spartans scored six runs in the first two innings of the first game.

Kevin Wild (4-2) - a right fielder and pitcher - rested over the final four innings of the first game against Elgin Community College. The four-inning rest paid off for the WolfPack in the long run. Wild threw a nine-inning complete game for the WolfPack in the second game against Elgin Community College.

He gave up just four earned runs and struck out four batters. More importantly, he walked just two batters and forced the Spartans into five double plays.

Justin Scanlon came up big at the plate, batting 4-for-6 with a triple and six RBIs. He also was a key component in the five double plays turned by the infield. Scanlon was sliding all over the infield, grabbing hard-hit ground balls. He not only was able to snag the ball, but he was able to get the ball to Tanner Vavra at second base to start the double plays.

Vavra made a big double play of his own by fielding the ball, touching second base and making the throw to Kyle Van Abel at first base. He also contributed offensively by driving in four runs on 2-for-5 hitting.

Luke Marwitz spent the majority of the first game and the entire second game behind the plate for the WolfPack in the heat. As good as he was catching for Wild, his offensive numbers were just as impressive. He drove in six runs and was 4-for-5 with a double and a triple. He was a home run shy of the cycle.

The combined effort of everybody on the WolfPack team in the two games against Elgin Community College led to the national tournament berth in Enid, Okla.

As the final out was recorded, the WolfPack stormed the field with excitement and made a WolfPack pile on the infield to celebrate the Region IV Championship.

Head Coach Mike Davenport was awarded coach of the region honors for Region IV and Marwitz was named the Region IV Tournament MVP.

En route to winning the tournament the WolfPack knocked off two good teams in Oakton Communtiy College and Elgin Community College. They also beat the No. 5 ranked team in the country, Kankakee Community College on their home field. The WolfPack were 2-1 against the Cavaliers this season.

Madison College will play their first NJCAA Division II National Tournament game in Enid, Oklahoma against Western Oklahoma State College on May 30 at noon. They are the No. 1 ranked team in the nation at 50-5.