COOLIDGE, ARI. - Monday's day off appears to have re-energized and re-focused the Madison College baseball team, as they pulled away late for an 11-0 win Tuesday at Central Arizona College. The WolfPack held a narrow lead, due in part to a four-hit effort by a pair of pitchers, before taking advantage of numerous mistakes by the #16 (NJCAA Division 1) Vaqueros to plate nine runs in the final inning. 

Both team's starting pitchers opened the game with terrific efforts and carried a 0-0 game into the fourth inning, when Madison College (3-4) broke through. For the seventh consecutive game, the 'Pack managed to be the first on the scoreboard, this time using a Cade Bunnell single and a Nick Blomgren double in successive at bats to tally what proved to be the game-winning run. 

Two innings later sophomore Zach Bailey registered his second hit of the day and eventually scored on a Chris Lund opposite field single to make it a 2-0 game.

Starter Jack Eagan (2-0) limited the Central Arizona (17-10) to just four hits through six innings of work, and left the game unscathed thanks to some outstanding defense in the bottom of the sixth. With runners at the corners and two outs, the Vaqueros attempted a delayed double steal, but the WolfPack was ready and Bunnell fired a return throw from second base back to Blomgren at the plate to nail the lead runner for the inning's final out.  Eagan exited with a career-high seven strikeouts and allowed just four hits and one walk en route to his second straight win to open the season.

Freshman Tanner Umentum entered in relief and after a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, coaxed a double play ball off a Vaqueros bat that the WolfPack turned to end another late game threat. 

In the top of the ninth, the wheels came off for Central Arizona. A walk and two Madison College singles pushed across one run to make it 3-0, and after a wild pitch advanced runners to second and third, Kian O'Brien drove home Caleb Hurt for a four run advantage. The Vaqueros changed pitchers after that at bat, and proceeded to allow five more seven more runs on two walks, two hit by pitches, two wild pitches, one error, and one double by Tyler Strzelczyk to cap the scoring. In all the WolfPack sent a dozen batters to the plate as they broke open the game and ended a four-game losing streak.

The WolfPack collected six more hits and defeated the Vaqueros for the first time in six meetings despite committing four errors. Bailey, Blomgren, and Strzelczyk tied for team-high honors with two hits each. Strzelczyk, a freshman from Tinley Park, Illinois, drove in a career-best four runs with his two hits. Bunnell, Hurt, and Bryce Plate all scored two runs a piece. Umentum picked up his first career save with three innings of near perfect baseball, issuing just one base on balls and striking out one batter.

Madison College will play another nine-inning affair Wednesday at Glendale Community College (15-12). The NJCAA DII Gauchos have won four straight games against the WolfPack, including a 10-3 decision last year, and own a 4-2 all-time advantage. The last Madison College win was in 2008. First pitch is set for noon in Arizona (2:00 p.m. CT).



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