MADISON, WISC. - Facing a much earlier than expected exit from the Region IV Sectional Tournament Saturday at Robin Roberts Field, the #4-seed Madison College baseball team dug deep and rallied for two runs in the top of the ninth to defeat Morton College 4-3 in a win-or-go-home game. The win pushes the WolfPack into Sunday's championship game against the #5-seed College of Lake County, who beat the 'Pack in a hard-fought 2-1 game earlier in the day. The Lancers are 2-0, so Madison College will need two wins avoid elimination.

Game #1: College of Lake County 2, Madison College 1

An arms race is the only way to describe the matchup between the WolfPack and the Lancers in game two of Saturday's round robin. Madison College opened with sophomore Derek Heffel (3-4) on the hill, and the righthander did not disappoint. Heffel allowed five hits and one unearned run in seven innings of work. The Racine St. Catherine's (WI) HS product also struck out five in a losing effort.

The lone run against him came in the second and came as a result of an error, one of three in the game for the WolfPack. After a lead off single and a sacrifice bunt, the College of Lake County's (27-24) catcher hit a ground ball to shortstop; however, Kian O'Brien's throw was low and got first baseman Carson Carmody, allowing the run to score.

Trailing 1-0, the Madison College offense was held without a hit until the fourth inning, when they stranded runners at first and second. In the sixth, a lead off walk to Trevor Tunison and an error on a ground ball by Nick Kanavas led to two runners in scoring position with one out against Lancers righthander Kevin Tibor - a transfer from UW-Milwaukee. The inning closed with back-to-back fly outs by Kian O'Brien and Nate Schmidt. 

Sophomore southpaw Clayton Uselman relieved Heffel in the eighth, and the Lake County was able to add an insurance run against the new hurler. Again the Lancers catcher made it happen, this time with a perfectly executed squeeze play for a 2-0 lead.

Looking for a little late magic, the WolfPack loaded the bases with no outs when O'Brien and Ryan Makuski sandwiched a pair of hits around a walk of Nate Schmidt. After a pitching change, freshman Carson Carmody delivered with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring O'Brien and moving the tying run within 90 feet of home. That run would stay there as Chris Lund flew out to center and Bryce Plate went down swinging to end the game.

Four different players registered hits for Madison College as the two teams combined for just nine hits total.

Game #2: Madison College 6, Morton College 5

The final game of the day featured two teams desperate for a win, as both lost their opener of the round robin and a loss would end their season (College of Lake County defeated Morton College, 9-7, to begin the day), but this time Madison College found a way to win.

Trailing by a 5-4 margin entering the bottom of the ninth and facing elimination, Simon Maurice hit a one-out double to the opposite field and Kian O'Brien followed with a single to left, scoring Maurice and tying the game. A Nate Schmidt single and a Ryan Makuski walk loaded the bases with one out and Morton College turned to their bullpen. Carson Carmody was the first up to face the new pitcher, but struck out swinging. That left it all up to freshman Chris Lund, and the Stoughton, Wisconsin, native came through in a big way. His single to center dropped just ahead of the hard-charging outfielders and O'Brien raced across home for the game's winning run in walk-off fashion.



The #9-seed Panthers took advantage of a reeling WolfPack squad, scoring single runs in the second and fourth innings against starter Brandon Parr. 

It remained 2-0 until the bottom of the seventh inning when Madison College (26-26-1) finally broke through for four hits and three runs. Designated hitter Ronnie Cross hit a one-out double to right and pinch hitter Drew Steinmetz drew a walk to put runners aboard for sophomore slugger Nick Kanavas, who promptly doubled off the wall in left to bring in Cross. Then with two outs, O'Brien ripped a single to left that gave the 'Pack the lead as Steinmetz and Kanavas hustled to home plate to make it 3-1. The inning could have been even bigger, but lead off hitter Chris Lund was caught stealing at second and opening the frame with a single.

It was a short-lived lead as freshman Riley Pawelski, who came in for Parr during the sixth inning, ran into trouble. A one-out ground ball to second with two runners aboard led to an error, the first of two committed in the game, and the game's tying run to score. Coach Mike Davenport again turned to lefthander Clayton Uselman to try and close the door, but a wild pitch on his first offering brought in another run for a 4-3 Morton College (19-25-1) lead.

The WolfPack mounted another rally in their half of the eighth, bringing the score to 4-4 when Makuski scored on Lund's ground ball to short.

In the ninth, the Panthers summoned more two-out magic with a double and single, the latter off reliever Jared Horton, to regain a 5-4 advantage.

Lund finished the game 3-for-5 with two RBI, while O'Brien went 2-for-5 with a run scored and a team-best three driven in. Brandon Parr did not factor in the decision after going 5 2/3 innings with two earned runs on eight hits and three walks. He also struck out five. Riley Pawelski, Clayton Uselman, and Jared Horton combined for 3 1/3 innings of three hit baseball and five strike outs. Pawelski surrendered two unearned runs and Uselman had one earned. Horton (2-1) was the pitcher of record, grabbing the second straight win in as many appearances for the Cambridge, Wisconsin, native.

Sunday's NJCAA Region IV Sectional Championship action will begin at noon at Robin Roberts Field. Should Madison College beat the College of Lake County in the first game, a second will start around 3:00 p.m. The winner advances to the 2016 NJCAA Region IV Tournament, May 20-22 at the site of the highest remaining seed.

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