TUCSON, ARIZ. - The Madison College baseball team took a day trip through the desert Tuesday to play a pair games at the Kino Sports Complex and came away with one win and win loss. The #15-ranked WolfPack run-ruled Region IV foe Morton College by an 11-1 final in five innings, then went back-and-forth with #6-ranked Western Oklahoma State College before falling 9-8 in an extra innings walk-off.
Game #1: #15 Madison College 11, Morton College 1 (5 innings)
Looking to snap a four-game losing streak, Madison College was hungry for a win and it showed early. The WolfPack used four hits, two free passes, an error, and a wild pitch to plate four runs in the first inning. The biggest hit of the inning was a two-run single by freshman
Luke Malmanger, marking the first hit and RBI of his career. The 'Pack made it 6-0 in the second when sophomore
Adam LaRock drove in a pair of runs with a double to right. Up 7-1 entering the fifth, Madison College put the game away with another four-run frame.
Carl Valk,
Walker Jenkins, LaRock, and
Carson Holin each drove in a run, with Holin's hit ending the game.
Sophomore
Matt Hamilton (2-0) picked up his second win of the season in as many starts. The righthander held the Panthers to one unearned run and scattered three hits, while striking out four batters and walking just one.
Madison College racked up nine hits, led by 2 for 3 efforts from Valk and Jenkins. The tandem of second year players also each produced three runs and one RBI. LaRock, a native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, drove in a team-high three runs, while Malmanger had two RBI. The 'Pack also matched a season-high with four stolen bases, led by two from Jenkins, a former Sun Prairie High School athlete.
The WolfPack has now won six straight games over Morton College (2-4) and are 15-5 all-time.
Game #2: #6 Western Oklahoma State College 9, #15 Madison College 8 (8 innings)
Facing yet another tough-test during their annual spring trip, the WolfPack and Pioneers were locked in a heated battle from the opening pitch. Madison College struck first with a bases loaded walk in the first inning, followed by a run-scoring groundout from
Jarrett Scheelk to plate
Adam LaRock. Western Oklahoma pulled even in their half with a pair of runs off starter
Brandon Komar. Singles by sophomores
Lucas Trebian and
Walker Jenkins produced another run in the second, which was again matched by the Pioneers.
The WolfPack took a 6-3 advantage in the third on three hits, two walks, and an error. The final tally came via
Carl Valk's line drive base hit to right that plated
Nathan Aide. Both teams then added runs via the long ball, with the Pioneers hitting a two-run homer to narrow the differential to one and Scheelk blasting a two-run shot of his own in the fourth to extend the lead to 8-5. From that point on, Western Oklahoma chipped away at their deficit with two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie it up and force extra innings. After the 'Pack went down 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth, freshman relief pitcher
Eliot Turnquist struggled in the bottom half with three straight walks to load the bases, and giving up a sacrifice fly for a walk-off decision.
Scheelk finished the game 3 for 4 with three runs batted in and two scored. The sophomore now has two multi-RBI games during the spring trip. Five other players also recorded a hit, including Nick GIle. The Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, product also scored a pair of runs and drove in another.
Komar, an Elkhorn, Wisconsin, native, did not factor in the decision despite 4.2 innings of work. He surrendered eight earned runs on 13 hits and four strikeouts. He gave way to Turnquist (0-2), who took the loss despite not giving up a hit in his three innings on the bump. The former Columbus High School athlete did walk three and strike out four ahead of allowing his only earned run.
The WolfPack is now 1-4 in head-to-head meetings with Western Oklahoma (20-5).
Up Next:
Madison College (3-5) travels to Phoenix, Arizona, on Wednesday for a nine-inning matchup with GateWay Community College (12-16). In the all-time series, the WolfPack trail by a 10-3 count. First pitch is at 4:00 p.m. CT/2:00 p.m. PT.
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