GLEN ELLYN, ILL. - For the second consecutive day, the Madison College baseball team squared off with the College of DuPage for a North Central Community College Conference doubleheader; however, this time only one team could claim a victory. The WolfPack scored late in a 9-6 win in the opener, before settling for an 8-8 tie in game two. Over the course of two days, the 'Pack posted a 2-1-1 record against the Chaparrals.

Game #1: Madison College 9, College of DuPage 6

The homestanding Chaparrals drew first blood in game one, scoring a run in each of the first two innings against Madison College starter Jake Kopp. The righthander from West Bend (WI) West HS allowed four hits and walked one over his first two innings.

Trailing 2-0 the WolfPack bats went to work in the fourth, spring for a six run burst on four hits, four walks, and a hit batter. Kian O'Brien opened the inning with a single and scored on Ryan Makuski's single three batters later. Bryce Plate then drove in Carson Carmody to tie the game, and catcher Tanner Van De Hey gave Madison College the lead for good with a single to left that scored Makuski.

The the flood gates began to open as Nick Kanavas double in a run, followed by three consecutive walks that forced in two more runs to make it 6-2.

An error allowed the WolfPack to add another run in the fifth, but DuPage had one rally left in them. The Chaparrals used a run-scoring triple, a sacrifice fly, and a two-run home run to left off Kopp to pull the game within one.

Looking for some insurance as the game moved to the sixth, sophomore Ryan Makuski capped his productive game with a two-RBI triple to center, advancing the score to 9-6.

Jake Kopp (2-2) earned his second consecutive win despite allowing six earned runs on eight hits. His six innings of work matched a season-high set in his prior start. Peyton Durst closed out the win with his first save of the season, throwing a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Makuski finished the game 3-for-3, including two extra base hits. The redshirt sophomore from Custer, Wisconsin tallied three RBI and two runs scored as he hit from the sixth spot in the lineup. Nick Kanavas also had multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a run scored and one driven in. Carson Carmody matched Makuski by twice touching home.

Game #2: Madison College 8, College of DuPage 8 (7 innings)

The finale of the day's twin bill looked like a third straight Madison College win in the making, thanks mostly to the powerful bat of sophomore Nick Kanavas. That being said, the Chaparrals had other plans.

Trailing 5-3 after four innings, Kanavas lead off the fifth with his first home run of the season. The solo shot cleared the centerfield wall to pull Madison College within a run.

The WolfPack surged ahead with four runs on three hits in the sixth inning. Once again Ryan Makuski got it started, doubling to right field. Three batters later, Zach Bailey executed a perfect bunt to bring Makuski home and tie the game at five. That brought Kanavas back to the plate with two runners aboard and just one out. The Brookfield, Wisconsin, native smashed his second roundtripper of the game, making the score 8-5. Kanavas becomes the first WolfPack player this season with a multi-homer game, and also leads the team in long balls.

However, the College of DuPage (27-10-2, 11-5-1) had some life left in them. One run in the bottom of the sixth off reliever Jared Horton brought the score to within two. Horton then allowed a single to start the seventh, which was followed by a stolen base, a walk, and a pass ball to bring the tying run into scoring position. A grounder to the right side and a single to shortstop allowed both runs to come in, evening the score at eight-all.

For the second time on the day, Peyton Durst entered and closed out the inning, though rather than pick up a win, the Rockford, Illinois, native preserved a seven-inning tie as the game was called due to darkness.

Starter Theo Denlinger tossed three innings of three-run, three-hit baseball. He struck out four and walked four before giving way to Jared Horton. Horton surrendered four earned runs in his three-plus innings. The Cambridge, Wisconsin, product allowed six hits, walked six, and struck out six in the no-decision.

Behind his two home run performance, Nick Kanavas was 3-for-4 at the plate with a season-high four RBI. He also matched his previous high of three runs in a game, set three times already this season. Alex Mayer and Kian O'Brien enjoyed two-hit games as the top three batters in the lineup combined for seven of the 11 hits for Madison College (18-16-1, 12-5-1).

The WolfPack will play for a fourth straight day when they travel down I-94 to face N4C rival Milwaukee Area Technical College for a doubleheader Tuesday. Madison College swept the Stormers in two games at Robin Roberts Field back on March 3, winning by scores of 8-2 and 14-4. The rivalry has been very one-sided of late, with Madison College coming out on top of the past 25 meetings. First pitch along the shores of Lake Michigan is at 2:00 p.m.