Proving that everything's not always bigger in Texas, the Madison College WolfPack defeated the Hill College Rebels of Hillsboro, TX in thrilling comeback fashion, 6-5 in the first game on March 17. The WolfPack then took down the Williston State College Tetons from Williston, ND in the second game of the afternoon, 2-1.
Madison College jumped on top early against Hill College, the NJCAA D1 school, with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Jordan Chardukian, Ryan Freitag, and Andrew Wasmund loaded the bases after reaching on free passes, and Chardukian came home on an error by the catcher. Freitag crossed the plate later that inning on a Hill College wild pitch, and the WolfPack held the 2-0 lead.
Armed with the cushion, starter Andy Stochl looked to duplicate his impressive first inning, but gave up a home run to Hill to make it 2-1. The Rebels then manufactured another run to tie the game at two in the third inning. After a scoreless fourth inning for both teams, Madison College grabbed the lead with two more runs in the fifth for a 4-2 advantage. Chardukian led off the inning with a double to left and Tanner Vavra reached on a bunt single to third base, and Chardukian advanced. Tyler Brusky then provided the fireworks with single down the right field line, and Chardukian and Vavra both scored to put the WolfPack up by two.
The Hill College Rebels wouldn't go away though as they scored three runs in the top of the seventh inning. Brent Mueller, who relieved Stochl in the fifth inning, pitched scoreless fifth and sixth innings before he and the WolfPack defense started running into trouble in the seventh. Mueller gave up an unearned run in the seventh before Michael Huckabay replaced him on the mound. After a wild pitch, Huckabay gave up a two run single and Hill College took a 6-5 lead on two more unearned runs.
Down 6-5 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Trevor Burmeister reached first on a one out walk for a much needed WolPack runner. Needing to at least tie the game with a run, Freitag had other ideas as he crushed a home run to right center for the walk-off, 6-5 win over the Texas school.
Starter Andy Stochl threw four solid innings of two run ball, and Brent Mueller went 2.2 innings in relief. Stochl gave up two runs and struck out two, and Mueller allowed three unearned runs to go along with is two strike outs. Michael Huckabay, who pitched a third of an inning, benefitted from Freitag's heroics in picking up his first win of the year. Brusky and Freitag led the team at the plate and finished 1-for-3 with two RBI. Freitag also scored twice and his walk-off home run was the WolPacks' first home run of the season. Four other WolfPack finished with one hit, and Chardukian also scored two runs. Wasmund stole the lone base for the WolfPack in the come from behind win.
The second game of the afternoon proved to be the opposite of the opener, but the WolfPack still pulled out the victory in the pitcher's duel, 2-1. Starter Parker Schrage pitched another great game in picking up the win. He scattered three hits and three walks in six innings of one run ball. He also recorded five strike outs in his second win of the year. Cole Kroncke recorded the save in the final inning, and struck out two Williston batters in doing so.
The WolPack jumped on top with a run in the first inning before the NJCAA D2 Tetons from Williston knotted the game at one with a run of their own in the second. Madison College scored the winning run in the bottom of the fifth and the WolfPack pitchers held on for the win. Eric Ducharme led the team at the plate and finished 2-for-3 and scored the first run of the game when he crossed the plate after his first inning double to right center. Tyler Brusky picked up the lone WolfPack RBI when his ground out to shortstop plated DuCharme. Josh Rowles scored the winning Madison College run the hard way in the fifth inning after being hit by a pitch. Rowles advanced to second on Vincent Schmitz's sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, before Rowles flashed his speed and stole third. A wild throw down to third by the Teton catcher resulted in Rowles crossing the plate, and Schrage and Kroncke sealed the one run win. Ryan Freitag, who provided the game one fireworks, reached on two walks and stole three bases in the third consecutive win for Madison College.
