The WolfPack baseball team had an inconsistent day to say the least. Madison College opened up the day with their sixth victory of the season in a 7-1 lopsided win over the Gila Monsters from Eastern Arizona College, before losing their first game in the Jack Howell Classic to the Central Arizona College Vaqueros. The Vaqueros dominated the WolfPack in the 18-3 blowout win, scoring 17 runs in the first inning. With the loss Madison College dropped to 6-4.
The WolfPack opened the day in convincing fashion against Eastern Arizona with a run in the first inning, a run in the fourth, and two runs in the fifth in support of starter Joel Effertz. The Gila Monsters got on the board to make it a 4-1 game, but the WolfPack tacked on three more insurance runs to put them up 7-1. Cody Peterson relieved Effertz and sealed the WolfPack's fourth win in the Jack Howell Classic.
Effertz scattered three hits over 6 innings and gave up one unearned run. He also struck out eight in picking up his second win of the season before Peterson sealed the victory. Trevor Burmeister led the WolfPack at the plate with three hits in four at bats. He also added two RBI, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Andrew Wasmund continued his hot hitting and went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored. In the fifth inning Wasmund stroked his first home run of the year with a two run shot to left center that drove in Eric DuCharme. Six other WolfPack hitters added one hit apiece, and Jake Page, James Furlano, and Richard Hanke all stole bases.
In the second game of the afternoon against the Central Arizona College Vaqueros, everything went wrong for the WolfPack. Starter Mitchell Arens struggled from the beginning and was relieved by Josh Jaro in the top of the second. Jaro lasted two thirds of an inning before being replaced by Brent Muelller. Mueller pitched one and two third innings before Beau Goff finished off the game in the final frame of the five inning game.
Offensively, Josh Rowles had two of the WolfPack's four hits, including one of two extra base hits for Madison College. He recorded a triple in the fourth inning that drove in Jon Dybevik, and Rowles eventually scored on Tyler Brusky's double down the left field line. Dybevik had the team's other hit, scored a run, and stole a base.
The WolfPack are back at it tomorrow morning in their final game of the Jack Howell Classic when they take on the Langley Blaze at 8:30 AM at the Kino Baseball Complex. The game being played on field #3 was scheduled to start at 9:00 AM but due to travel issues, the game has been moved to 8:30 AM.
