The Madison College baseball team avoided a repeat of last year's two and out performance at the 2010 NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, OK with a 13-4 blowout win over the Gateway Community College Geckos in Saturday morning's opener of the 2011 World Series.

The WolfPack battled back at the beautiful David Allen Memorial Ballpark after falling behind 2-1 after two innings for the 13-4 victory. The 'Pack outscored the Geckos by seven runs after the second inning, and starter Parker Schrage settled down to throw five solid innings to pick up the win. With the World Series opening victory, Madison College has the day off on Sunday before taking on the Western Oklahoma State College Pioneers on Monday night.

The game started as a pitcher's duel as both the Gecko starter and Schrage retired the side 1-2-3 before Madison got the offensive display going with a run in the top of the second. Gateway answered the 'Pack with two runs in their half of the inning, before Madison took a 4-2 lead after their three run third inning. Garrett Novinski walked to start the frame, and Ryan Freitag followed with an RBI double down the right field line to tie the game at two. Tanner Vavra then reached on a bunt single, and Freitag moved up 90 feet before Treysen Vavra plated Freitag with a groundout for the 3-2 advantage. The threat didn't stop there as Tyler Brusky came through in the clutch with a two out single to center to drive in Tanner Vavra and Madison took the 4-2 lead, one they would never relinquish. 

Madison College added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning on Freitag's two run homer to left to go ahead 6-2 in support of Schrage, before Gateway scored a solo run off the righty from Mt. Calvary, WI. Madison answered back with three more runs in the top of the fifth, and Gateway tacked on another solo run in the bottom of the frame before the WolfPack put the game out of reach with four runs in the top of the seventh to go up 13-4. Quintin Zander, who came in the sixth inning to relieve Schrage, pitched another scoreless inning in the seventh to preserve the seven inning win for Schrage and the 'Pack.

Schrage battled through flu-like symptoms to pick up the win after throwing five solid innings. He had two strikeouts, before Zander took over to throw two scoreless innings with three punchouts. Several WolfPack had great days at the plate as they belted out 14 hits, including doubles from Freitag and Jake Page, and home runs from Freitag and Andrew Wasmund. Freitag led the team by going 3-4 with four RBI and three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Wasmund finished 3-5 with two RBI and a run scored, and Brusky also drove in two runs. The starting catcher, Brusky finished 3-4 and scored a run as well.

With the convincing 14-3 win, the 43-14 WolfPack advance to face the Western Oklahoma State College Pioneers on Monday night, May 30 in their second game of the NJCAA DII World Series in Enid. Western Oklahoma State routed the Southeastern Community College Rams of North Carolina 15-5 in the second game of the day. The WolfPack's second World Series game against the Pioneers from Altus, OK starts at 7:00 PM.