Box Score Like the Bee Gees once sang, the Madison College baseball team is "Stayin' Alive" in the NJCAA Division II World Series down in Enid, Okla. Playing in a semifinal elimination game Thursday, the third-ranked WolfPack sent home Pasco-Hernando State College (Fla.), winning 7-3.
The Conquistadors got on the board first, as Jose Alonzo hit a solo home run off
Kyle Krings in the bottom of the second inning. That lead would grow to 2-0 in the fourth, when Tyler Cooler's sac fly was able to score Kevin Faulkner.
Madison College would respond in the top of the fifth. Following a
Danny Krause single to center field which brought in
Joe Stubbe,
Sam Hurt scored on a passed ball, tying the game at 2-2.
It wouldn't take long for Pasco-Hernando State College to regain their lead. The team added one run in the bottom of the fifth, coming off another sac fly, to take the 3-2 advantage.
Fortunately, with the Conquistadors still leading 3-2 in the seventh, Pasco-Hernando State College handed some free runs to the 'Pack. A walk to
Dan Schmidt,
Luke Yapp being hit by a pitch, and a wild pitch in succession gave Madison College three runs and a 5-3 lead following six-and-a-half innings.
The WolfPack would never trail from that point forward. Madison College scored their final two runs in the top of the eighth to take a four-run advantage, 7-3. Krause's single to left once more brought in Stubbe, while
Keith Browning's single to right allowed Hurt to cross the dish.
Michael Pleimling, who pitched four innings in relief, picked up the victory for Madison College. Pleimling allowed just two hits.
With the victory, the WolfPack guaranteed themselves at least a third place finish for the third time in the last four years. The team will now await the result of tonight's game between Mesa Community College (Ariz.) and Hinds Community College (Miss.). If Hinds wins, the 'Pack will play the Eagles in the championship game. If the Thunderbirds win, a third semifinal will be played between the WolfPack and Hinds Community College with the winner facing Mesa Community College for the championship.
