MADISON, WISC. - The final home doubleheader of the year ended with a split as the Madison College baseball team finished their regular season with a 29-19 record. The WolfPack, who went 15-5 on their new home turf at Robin Roberts Field, defeated Carl Sandburg College 10-2 before falling 6-4 in game two on Sunday, May 6 as both teams jockeyed for position to potentially host a sectional series ahead of the Region IV Tournament. The day also marked the final regular season home games for the 12-member sophomore Class of 2018, which included Nate Brown, Jon-Anthony Caban, Theo Denlinger, Jack Eagan, Connor Fedders, Caleb Hurt, Jake Kopp, Garrett McGraw, Logan Michaels, Chase Scharnek, Tyler Strzelczyk, and Tanner Umentum.

Game #1: Madison College 10, Carl Sandburg College 2 (7 innings)

The home team struck first in the opener, with Madison College posting a pair of runs in the bottom of the second when freshman Walker Jenkins singled in Jon-Anthony Caban and Chase Scharnek. The Chargers tied with their lone runs of the game against starter Jack Eagan. Still square in the fourth, the 'Pack used three singles and a double to generate a three-run frame. Scharnek, Jenkins, and Logan Michaels each registered a RBI to make it 5-2. Madison College truly put the game out of reach with a five-run sixth inning. Michaels doubled home two runs and then scored on a subsequent two-bagger by Nick Gile. Nathan Aide and Jarrett Scheelk would each single in a run before the inning was over.

Of the 11 hits for the WolfPack, Jenkins, Michaels, and Scheelk each finished with two. Jenkins, a native of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, registered a 2 for 3 game with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Michaels, from DeForest, Wisconsin, was 2 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI, and a run scored. In addition to to hits, Scheelk also crossed home once and drove in another. 

Lefthanded ace Jack Eagan (3-1) struck out eight in his five innings of work to snap a five consecutive games with double-digit K's. The all-region pitcher allowed two runs on two hits and six walks for his first win since April 7. Freshman Brandon Komar threw the final two innings without allowing a run or a hit and struck out three en route to his third save of the season.

Game #2: Carl Sandburg College 6, Madison College 4 (7 innings)

Game two saw Carl Sandburg College (27-12) take an early 1-0 lead with a first inning run, however, Madison College pulled even in the second on a sacrifice fly from Lucas Trebian that scored Garrett McGraw. A leadoff home run to begin the third for CSC flipped the momentum and ignited the visiting Chargers to a three-run frame against sophomore Nate Brown. A run in the third trimmed the deficit to 4-2, where the score remained until Carl Sandburg went ahead 5-2 in the sixth and added another in the seventh. Facing their final outs, the WolfPack attempted yet another come-from-behind win. Back-to-back errors put two runners on, and consecutive ground outs made it 6-3. Jarrett Scheelk followed with a double to pull within two, and after another error and a walk, pinch hitter Logan Michaels stepped up with the bases load. The sophomore, however, went down swinging to end the game.

Gile and Scheelk led the offensive effort with two hits each. Jerry LaSaint scored two runs with a hit and a walk, while Adam LaRock scored a run and drove in one despite going 0 for 4 at the plate.

The loss was credited to Brown (3-4), ending the Hartland, Wisconsin, native's three-game win streak. Brown was on the hook for eight hits, four runs, two of which were earned, three walks, and a hit batter. He also struck out five. 

The WolfPack now boasts a 12-2 record all-time against Carl Sandburg, which snapped a four-game Madison College win streak in the series. 

Up Next:

Madison College will open the 2018 NJCAA Region IV Division II Tournament as the number three seed and with a home Sectional Best-of-three Series against sixth-seeded Highland Community College (20-32). The WolfPack swept a home doubleheader with the Cougars on April 26, winning by scores of 2-1 and 6-1 to extend their current win streak over HCC to eight games. All games will be nine-inning games with first pitch at Robin Roberts Field on Saturday, May 12 at noon, and game two to follow at approximately 3:00 p.m. Game three, if necessary, will be played at noon on Sunday, May 13. The winner will advance to the 2018 NJCAA Region IV Division II Tournament from May 18-20 at the site of the highest remaining seed.

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