JOLIET, ILL. - Shutouts ruled the day as Madison College and Joliet Junior College split a North Central Community College Conference twin bill on Saturday in Joliet, Illinois. The #2 WolfPack won the opener, 2-0, behind an outstanding pitching performance from Derek Heffel, but failed to keep in the nightcap, falling 6-0. It marks the second straight split of a N4C doubleheader for Mike Davenport and company.

Game #1: Madison College 2, Joliet Junior College 0

Sophomore Derek Heffel (3-2) orchestrated one of his best outings of the season against the Wolves, scattering five hits over seven innings to earn his third win of the season. The Racine St. Catherine's product struck out a season-high seven batters in blanking Joliet, moving his season ERA more than a full point from 4.43 to 3.38.

The game was scoreless through five innings as Madison College was unable to get a runner to second, while Joliet's action on the base paths was limited to the first 180 feet.

In the top of the sixth, the WolfPack broke through for a 2-0 lead. Simon Maurice followed a Tanner Van De Hey walk and Ryan Makuski single with a run scoring double to center, plating Van De Hey. Makuski came in to score one batter later on a sacrifice fly by Nick Kanavas.

Now pitching with the lead, Heffel found himself in trouble in the bottom half of the inning. Two straight singles started the inning for the Wolves, who then loaded the bases with two outs on an error by Maurice at shortstop. The lanky righthander coaxed a groundball to third from the next batter, allowing Kian O'Brien to field it and get the force out at third base to end the threat.

Heffel closed the door in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning, punctuated by a strikeout for the final out. The second year hurler rebounded well from losing his last outing 11 days prior at Triton.

Six different WolfPack batters tallied a hit, though Joliet pitching also recorded seven strikeouts.

Game #2: Joliet Junior College 6, Madison College 0

The Madison College bats continued to struggle in the second game, collecting just three total in the season's second shutout loss and first in 22 games.

Two of the three base knocks came in the opening half inning as Simon Maurice and Nick Kanavas hit back-to-back singles. However, the WolfPack threat ended in a double play. The 'Pack would not get another hit until the top of the seventh when Kanavas began the frame with a single to left as part of a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. Madison College sent one more than the minimum to the plate from innings two through six.

On the hill, starter Clayton Uselman (1-1) surrendered an early advantage to the home team with a four-run, four-hit second inning. A lead off walk and two singles filled the base paths, which were then emptied by a single, a sacrifice fly, and a two-RBI double.

The Madison College (12-13, 7-3) defense starting to fall apart over the next two innings, as a hit and an error in the third made it 5-0 and two more errors led to another run in the fourth inning for a 6-0 Joliet (16-19, 7-5) advantage. 

Uselman took his first loss in allowing six hits and six runs - only four were earned - in his four innings of work. Dominick Golubiewski and Riley Pawelski each tossed a scoreless inning in relief, and each giving up just one hit.

Cold weather and wet conditions postponed yet another doubleheader on Sunday, April 10, this time at Kankakee Community College. No make up date has been set. Madison College stays on the road Tuesday for a couple of seven inning games at N4C foe Harper College (0-13, 0-8). Game one starts at 2:30 p.m. in Palatine, Illinois.