MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College baseball team could ill-afford to lose a game Sunday at Robin Roberts Field, otherwise their 2016 season would be over. The #4-seed WolfPack came through, sweeping two games against the #5-seed College of Lake County to advances to the Region IV Division II Tournament in Crystal Lake, Illinois. They won in come-from-behind fashion in the opener by a score of 4-3, before breaking out in a 16-8 slugfest to clinch the title.

Game #1: Madison College 4, College of Lake County 3

For the second straight game, Madison College found itself in need of a ninth-inning rally to preserve their season. And for the second straight game, the offense came through.

Trailing the Lancers 3-2 and playing as the visitor, the WolfPack opened the frame with a walk and a caught stealing. Down to their final two outs, the late game heroics began with another walk, this one to Chris Lund, followed by a single to left by Simon Maurice that ended with both runners in scoring position. Pinch hitter Bryce Plate stepped in and roped a single to center that allowed Lund and Maurice to race in for a 4-3 lead.

After missing a chance to add an insurance run before the top half of the inning ended, redshirt sophomore pitcher Dominic Golubiewski went to work to close out Lake County and force a second game. The Green Bay, Wisconsin, native retired the first two batters, but allowed back-to-back singles to bring the tying run into scoring position. Golubiewski then induced the Lancers clean up hitter into a ground ball to shortstop Kian O'Brien to end it.

The WolfPack made a big statement early in the game when Chris Lund crushed his third home run of the season beyond the left field wall, a two-run blast that handed Madison College the first lead of the day.

Starting pitcher Sam Lund was equal to the task of forcing a second game, holding the opposition to one hit and one unearned run pitching into the seventh. The lone run came in the third when consecutive throwing errors by O'Brien, followed by a dropped third strike that saw catcher Trevor Tunison's throw get too close to the runner at first and allowed the run to score from third.

Clayton Uselman, pitching for the third consecutive game, relieved Sam Lund in the seventh to record the final out with runners at second and first. In the eighth Uselman gave up a single and a walk before giving way to Golubiewski with one out. However, two runs would score to make it 3-2 CLC. The first came in on a Golubiewski wild pitch, and the second on a ground ball to the right side to set up the dramatic ninth inning.

Chris Lund went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two batted in. Drew Steinmetz and Simon Maurice each collected two hits to lead the 'Pack, while Bryce Plate matched Lund with two RBI. Sam Lund did not factor in the decision despite five strike out, though he also walked four batters. Dominick Golubiewski (2-0) earned the win with an inning-and-a-third of scoreless baseball with two hits and one K.

Game #1: Madison College 16, College of Lake County 8

In the decisive winner-take-all second game, Madison College (28-26-1) scored more runs and nearly registered as many hits as the three games prior combined. It was all part of a hit parade between the WolfPack and Lancers that finished with 24 total runs and 34 total hits.

The big bats came out early for the home team, as lead off hitter Nick Kanavas bashed his team-leading fifth home run of the year to send an early message. The no-doubter to left was promptly followed by a single and an error to put two on for freshman Nate Schmidt, who doubled to the wall in left to score Drew Steinmetz. Three batters late, Bryce Plate delivered again with his second two-RBI hit in as many innings, only this time it was a double that propelled Madison College to an early 4-0 lead.

The real scoring battle began in bottom of the fourth when Drew Steinmetz placed a perfect bunt to score Simon Maurice and make it 5-0. It would be the first of nine consecutive half innings with a run scored.

College of Lake County (27-26) pulled to within three with a pair of runs in the fifth, but the 'Pack answered with two of their own in the home half. Chris Lund drove in one with a sacrifice fly, and another Plate double score Ryan Makuski for a 7-2 edge.

The teams traded off two-run half innings again in the sixth, highlighted by RBI at bats for Kian O'Brien and Makuski to make it 9-4. The lead jumped to 12-5 after the seventh thanks to a three-run home run by Drew Steinmetz. The Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, native had not hit a homer all season, and finished the game 4-for-5 with three runs scored and a team-best four driven in.

Looking to add a little suspense, the Lancers used two hits and an error, the fourth of the game for the WolfPack, to tally three runs in the eight and pull within four at 12-8. However, whatever crack remained open in the door was slammed shut with a four-run bottom of the eighth. The inning featured a Makuski RBI triple, a Simon Maurice run-scoring single, and a Tanner Van De Hey's two-RBI single to center.

The finishing touches were then applied Jake Kopp and the defense, as a 6-4-3 double-play was turned in for the final outs.

Also in the four-hit column was Ryan Makuski, whose 4-for-5 effort included a pair of runs scored and two more batted in. Tanner Van De Hey and Nick Kanavas each had three hits, with Kanavas matching Steinmetz for team-best honors at three runs scored.

On the bump, starter Alec Haluzak (5-1) was the winning pitcher. The southpaw went five innings and allowed six hits and three runs, though only one was earned. The Wilmot Union (WI) HS product struck out three to earn his first win in three starts. Hank Schau and Kopp pitched the final four innings, with Kopp holding the Lancers to one hit during his time on the hill.



Madison College, the six-time defending champions of the NJCAA Region IV Division II crown, will open the 2016 tournament against Kankakee Community College (38-19). The #2-seeded Cavaliers survived their sectional tournament with wins over Moraine Valley Community College and Black Hawk College. The WolfPack, playing now as the #3 seed after the re-seeding process following sectional play, were swept by KCC in the final doubleheader of the regular season, losing 6-5 and 4-3 (8) on the road. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Host and top-seed McHenry County College (46-10, #10 in latest NJCAA DII Poll) plays #4 Elgin Community College (40-17) at 12:00 p.m. to open the double-elimination tournament.

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