The Madison College WolfPack couldn't hold off Western Oklahoma as Madison lost 7-6 in extra innings in their World Series finale. The heartbreaking loss eliminates the WolfPack from the NJCAA DII College World Series in Enid, OK. The 45-16 WolfPack won't leave Enid, OK empty handed as they won three games in the tournament against two losses for the third place trophy.
The WolfPack jumped out with three first inning runs, two on Eric DuCharme's two run single, to take the early lead before Western Oklahoma got on the board themselves with a solo run off starting pitcher Michael Huckabay. Up 3-1, Huckabay allowed another run to score in the third to cut into the lead but the WolfPack answered in the fourth to take back the two run advantage. Ryan Freitag drove in the run with a sacrifice fly to knock in Jon Dybevik. With the two run lead at 4-2 after four innings, the Pioneers from Oklahoma wouldn't go away and scored runs in the fifth and sixth inning to tie the game off of WolfPack starter. After two scoreless innings for both teams, Madison College jumped up in a big way with two runs to take back the lead 6-4 in the top of the ninth inning. Andrew Wasmund drove in the first run on a sacrifice fly that pushed Tanner Vavra across the plate. With two outs, Jake Page singled to left to score Treysen Vavra and Madison was back in control. New WolfPack reliever Andy Stochl ran in to trouble from the get go in the top of the ninth when he loaded the bases before retiring a batter. Western tied the game at six with a two run single, but Stochl induced a ground out and a huge double play to end the threat and the inning.
In the second extra inning affair with the Pioneers, Madison was unable to get top in the tenth and the Pioneers were able to secure the win with a walk off walk. After three consecutive walks for Western, reliever
Brent Mueller struck out a Pioneer for the first out of the inning. The next batter for Western singled and the game should have been over, but Freitag made a great throw on the hard hit single to center to cut down the runner coming home. With two out after Freitag's spectacular play, another walk forced in the wining run and the WolfPack walked away with the bronze in rather anti-climactic style.
Wasmund led the team at the plate with three hits in four at bats, an RBI, and a run scored, while Freitag,
Tanner Vavra, Page, and Dybevik all finished with two hits.
Eric DuCharme paced the WolfPack with two RBI, and the team belted out 15 hits in the extra inning loss. On the negative side, the WolfPack left 12 runners on base and squandered several opportunities to put the Pioneers away.
After the loss, the WolfPack finish 45-16 and look forward to a strong 2012 campaign. The 2011 team was able to reach the World Series for the second consecutive year, but managed more success as the team left with the bronze trophy.
