PHOENIX, ARI. - Sunday's matchup with GateWay Community College seemed destined to come down to the final innings, and that's exactly what happened as the Madison College baseball team fell 6-2 to the #4 Geckos. The WolfPack's loss is their fourth straight since opening the season 2-0.

As has been the tradition so far this young season, Madison College was the first to dent the scoreboard, doing so with a pair of second inning runs. With two outs and a runner at first Chase Scharnek earned a walk to join Carson Carmody on the base paths. Both advanced another 90 feet on a balk, and then both raced home on a bloop single to shallow right off the bat of second baseman Tanner Umentum. The runs batted in are the first career for the freshman from Denmark, Wisconsin.

GateWay Community College (11-16) got one run back in the bottom half thanks to an error, a walk, and three stolen bases.

The WolfPack failed to capitalize on a scoring opportunities in the third when, with runners at the corners and just one away, they ended the inning with a strike out and a ground out to strand the runners.

It stayed a one run game in favor of the 'Pack until the fifth, when GateWay assumed their first lead of the day. After recording outs from the first two batters, starter Riley Pelischek surrendered a walk, single, double, and single in successive batters that plated two runs to make it 3-2. 

Still a one run differential, the Geckos padded their lead with a three-run bottom of the eighth. Reliever Connor Fedders placed the lead off batter aboard with a base on balls, and after a steal of second, that runner come in to score on a single to center by the inning's second batter. Another walk put two aboard and both eventually scored on another single up the middle. A double-play ended the threat and sent the WolfPack to their final at bats with a four-run deficit to make up.

And they nearly pulled it off. Chris Lund opened the frame with a double to left and Garrett McGraw singled to put runners at the corners. After Carson Carmody went down swinging, freshman catcher Logan Michaels roped a ball to right center that appeared to be trapped on a diving attempt by the centerfielder. Unfortunately, a controversial catch call by the umpire was followed by a put out at first after McGraw failed to tag up, thus resulting in a game-ending double play.

Five WolfPack hitters registered a hit, with Umentum leading the team with two RBI and both Carmody and Scharnek tallying a run scored. Riley Pelischek (0-1) took the loss despite five innings of work that resulted in two earned runs on five hits and three walks. The transfer from the University of North Dakota struck out five batters. Connor Fedders gave up three runs on three hits and two walks in his three innings. Fedders, who redshirted last season, struck out three.

Madison College (2-4) will take Monday off, before returning to the diamond Tuesday for a showdown at #16 Central Arizona (NJCAA Division I). The Vaqueros are 17-9 and have won all five meetings between the two programs, including a doubleheader sweep in 2016. First pitch of the nine-inning game is at noon in Coolidge, Arizona (2:00 p.m. CT). 





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