RIVER GROVE, ILL. - The first North Central Community College Conference doubleheader of the season saw the Madison College baseball team split a pair of games at NJCAA Division I Triton College on Saturday. Sophomore Jack Eagan tallied a career-high for strikeouts in the opener as the WolfPack earned a 5-2 win, then fell one run short of erasing a five-run deficit in the nightcap to take a 7-6 setback against the two-time defending N4C champs. The loss snapped a season-high three-game win streak, while the split marked the fourth consecutive 1-1 finish in a twin bill between the two programs.

Game #1: Madison College 5, Triton College 2 (7 innings)

Left hander Jack Eagan was locked in from the opening pitch, retiring the first seven batters he faced before allowing a one-out single in the bottom of the third. The offense provided the Wautoma, Wisconsin, native with some run support fourth, plating four runs on two hits and three walks. With the bases loaded and one out, sophomore Garrett McGraw drew a base on balls to force in the game's first run. Fellow second year Logan Michaels drove in another with a sacrifice fly to center. The WolfPack found some seperation with the next batter as freshman Adam LaRock's line drive single up the middle brought Cam Cratic and McGraw in to make it 4-0.

An error in the sixth handed the 'Pack yet another run after Eagan had struck out four of six batters he faced in the previous two innings. A single and double to open the bottom of the seventh gave the Trojans their best scoring opportunity of the game against Eagan, who was replaced by Brandon Komar after back-to-back strikeouts. Triton hit a double off Komar to make it 5-2 before the freshman recorded the game's final out on a dropped third strike and a throw down to first.

Eagan (2-0), who is committed to the NCAA Division I Mississippi State University for next fall, recorded 13 K's over 6 2/3 innings with three hits, two runs allowed, and one walk allowed. In his last two starts, Eagan has registered 24 strikeouts in less than 13 innings.

LaRock, an Eau Claire, Wisconsin, native, had two hits and two RBI to lead the offense, while Nathan Aide and Chase Scharnek also had two hits in the game. 

Game #2: Triton College 7, Madison College 6 (7 innings)

Madison College opened the second game by grabbing the early lead with a RBI double from Logan Michaels that scored Cam Cratic from second after the freshman led off the game with a single. The lead was short-lived, however, as Triton College responded in the home half with three runs on three hits, a walk, and a hit by pitch against starter Nate Brown. Of the three hits, two went for extra bases at the top of the Trojans lineup. The deficit grew to 5-1 in the third, then to 6-1 in the fifth against reliever Connor Fedders.

In the sixth, a pair of singles by Michaels and Nick Gile produced the WolfPack's second run, which was answered again by Triton (13-9, 1-1). Still down by a handful and facing their final at-bats, Madison College showed some fight scoring four runs and doing it all after two outs. Michaels started the rally with a run-scoring single as Cratic again scored all the way from second. Gile made it 7-5 with a two-RBI double to deep center, scoring Michaels and Adam LaRock. Nathan Aide continued the run with another single up the middle that allowed Gile to turn third and run home, making it a one-run game. With Aide on first, sophomore Jon-Anthony Caban roped a double to left, putting the tying run just 90 feet from home and the go-ahead run in scoring position. Second year outfielder Caleb Hurt put a 2-1 pitch in play with a ground ball to short and was thrown out at first to end the come-from-behind effort and the game.

Gile, a freshman from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, matched a season-high with three hits and drove in a team-best three runs. Michaels, a DeForest, Wisconsin, product and returning all-conference selection, also went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two batted in. Cratic and Aide each registered a pair of hits, with Cratic scoring two runs and Aide batting one in. Four of the WolfPack's six hits went for extra bases.

On the hill, Nate Brown fell to 0-3 in five starts this season. The transfer from the University of Florida tossed four innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and four walks with six strikeouts. Fedders, a Franksville, Wisconsin, native, went two innings out of the bullpen and surrendered two earns runs on two hits and four walks with a pair of strikeouts.

Madison College is now 23-16 all-time against Triton College, including a 15-7 mark in conference games and a 12-7 edge in true road games. Both teams are a half game behind the College of DuPage in the conference standings with 1-1 records.

Up Next:

Madison College (8-10, 1-1, 5-3 in Region IV) will attempt to take advantage of better weather south of the Wisconsin-Illinois border on Sunday, March 8 with an impromptu makeup doubleheader from Thursday's postponement at Sauk Valley Community College (4-5, 4-5 in Region IV). The WolfPack has dominated the head-to-head series with the Skyhawks, owning a 21-8 advantage and riding an 11-game win streak. First pitch is at noon in Dixon, Illinois, with a 3:00 p.m. start for game two to follow.

Follow WolfPack baseball: Facebook | Twitter | GameChanger