MADISON, WISC. - Trying to take advantage of some rare spring-like weather, the Madison College baseball team held a surprise home opener on Friday and won both games against visiting Kishwaukee College, taking the opener 3-2 in a walk-off before a 3-0 shutout behind yet another gem by sophomore Matt Hamilton. Four days ahead of the original home opener, the WolfPack broke in a brand new natural grass playing surface with new fencing and netting surrounding it at Robin Roberts Field by improved to 3-1 against the NJCAA Division I Kougars this season after splitting a twin bill in Illinois a week earlier. 

Game #1: Madison College 3, Kishwaukee College 2 (7 innings)

Having taken eight of their nine losses by a single run, the WolfPack once again seemed primed for another close setback as they entered the bottom of the seventh trailing 2-1. Following a leadoff ground out, Madison College loaded the bases with a pair of walks sandwiched around a hit by pitch to set up their best scoring opportunities of the game. Walker Jenkins, the third pinch hitter of the inning, put a 1-1 pitch in play with a hard hit grounder to the shortstop, who made a diving stop towards the foul line. With Garrett McGraw already charging home from third, the only play was to third, but the throw was high and sailed into the dugout, sending sophomore Jordan Olson in to score the game-winning run. It's the third one-run win of the season and the walk-off W of 2018.

The WolfPack scored the game's first run in the home half of the third when freshman Adam LaRock hit a two-out singled to right following a pair of hit batters, one of which was Tanner Umentum and the sophomore raced around from second to score. Kishwaukee answered with a pair of runs in the fourth on three walks and a single against starter Nate Brown. The RBI gives LaRock a team-high dozen for the season.

Brown, a sophomore transfer from the University of Florida, left the game after that fourth inning, having allowed two earned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out three. Freshman Brandon Komar (2-1) worked the final three innings in relief and picked up his first win since game three of the season. The native of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, was nearly perfect, hitting just one batter while surrendering zero hits and setting down four hitters via strikeout. Komar went 1-2-3 in the seventh to keep the 'Pack within reach and to earn the win.

Both teams totaled just three hits, with Cratic, LaRock, and Marquis Reuter coming through for Madison College. LaRock and Jenkins each tallied a RBI, and Umentum, McGraw, and Olson all scored one run.

Game #2: Madison College 4, Kishwaukee College 0 (7 innings)

Making his second start in five days, Matt Hamilton picked up right where he left off following a six-inning, four-hit, and five-strikeout performance against Moraine Valley Community College. This time, however, the sophomore was even better as he held Kishwaukee (16-10/8-6 in Region IV) to three hits, to go along with a pair of walks and one hit by pitch. Hamilton (3-0) recorded three strikeouts and bumped his scoreless innings streak to 12. Freshman Jonathan Dominguez closed out the game with a perfect seventh, sandwiching a pair of ground outs around a K.

Offensively, Madison College tallied three of their four runs in the second inning. Freshman Nick Gile got things going with a leadoff double to left, which was followed by Jon-Anthony Caban's bunt single down the first base line. Two batters later, a Kougars error allowed Gile to score to make it 1-0. With two outs on the board, Cam Cratic, a first year outfielder from Madison East HS, singled in Caban, and fellow freshman Jarrett Scheelk's single scored Lucas Trebian, who had reached on the error. The WolfPack's final run occurred in the fifth inning after three consecutive singles loaded the bases to begin the inning, and put Scheelk in scoring position at third when Gile hit into a double-play to make it 4-0.

Madison College outhit Kishwaukee by a 9-3 tally in the nightcap, led by a trio of players (Scheelk, Garrett McGraw, and Gile) with 2 for 3 efforts at the plate. Scheelk and Trebian were the only players to both score a run and drive one in. The wins improve the WolfPack's all-time record against the Kougars to 34-22-1.

Up Next:

Madison College (7-9/4-2 in Region IV) will host Elgin Community College (7-8/3-4 in Region IV) on Tuesday, March 3, in what was originally slated to be the team's 2018 home opener. The WolfPack own a 25-19 all-time advantage against the NJCAA Division III Spartans. First pitch is slated for 2:30 p.m., with game two to follow at 5:30 p.m. at Robin Roberts Field.

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