MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College baseball team jumped ahead of the pack in the North Central Community College Conference with a pair of wins over three-time defending league champions Triton College on Saturday at Robin Roberts Field. Stellar pitching propelled the WolfPack to a hard-fought 1-0 win in the opener, which saw the two teams combine for four hits, and back-to-back home runs highlighted a 14-4 decision in five innings to close out the twin bill. The 'Pack has run its win streak to a season-high six games, while sweeping the regular season series with the NJCAA Division I Trojans for the first time since 2015.

Game #1: Madison College 1, Triton College 0 (7 innings)

In the first game between the only two program's to win a N4C title in the past eight years, Madison College rode the strong, right arm of sophomore Matt Hamilton. The Oak Creek, Wisconsin, product was nearly perfect in keeping the Trojans off the bases and the scoreboard. The lone hit allowed by Hamilton was a double to right-center to the game's first batter, and after a pair of walks, Triton College appeared primed to grab a sizeable early lead. However, an infield fly and a fielder's choice ground ball to the next two hitters got the second year hurler out of an early jam. He then went on to retire 19 straight batters until he was removed in the seventh with one out. Freshman Eliot Turnquist entered to record the final two outs and pick up his first career save.

Hamilton (4-0) struck out six en route to the win, though it didn't come easy. The WolfPack offense was also challenged at the plate by Trojans starter Alonze White, who struck out nine batters and held the 'Pack to three hits. The second of those hits was a two-out flare into shallow center that just fell in for sophomore Jarrett Scheelk and allowed fellow second year Adam LaRock to race in from first ahead of throw, staking Madison College to a 1-0 lead. LaRock was aboard thanks to a hit by pitch two batters prior.



Lucas Trebian and Derek Lee were the only other WolfPack batters to register a hit.

Game #2: Madison College 14, Triton College 4 (5 innings)

After being stiffled for seven innings in the opener, the Madison College bats exploded in the nightcap for for 13 hits. It all started with a two-out rally in the first inning when Adam LaRock followed a Nick Gile walk with a triple off the wall in right to give the home team an early 1-0 lead. The transfer from the University of Iowa eventually made it 2-0, scoring on a wild pitch. Former Sun Prairie Cardinals Carson Holin and Marquis Reuter got the ball rolling in the second as the former took a walk and stole second, and the latter followed with a single to make it 3-0. A base hit, two walks, and an error later and the 'Pack owned a 5-0 advantage.

The bats truly came alive in the third when Reuter, a sophomore infielder, went opposite field for his first career home run, a three-run shot to make it an 8-0 ball game. Fellow second-year Carl Valk stepped to the plate next and ripped a line drive just over the right field wall and inside the foul pole for back-to-back jacks. Madison College extended the lead ot 12-0 in the fourth, with three runs on four hits and two errors. Sophomore shortstop Walker Jenkins and freshman pinch hitter Pierson Gibis each recorded a RBI in the inning.



To that point, second year righthander Brandon Komar was lights out, taking a no-hitter into the fourth inning. A two-out single ended that attempt at history, and a call to the bullpen to start the fifth ended the Elkhorn, Wisconsin, native's day. Unfortunately, reliever Jake Smith allowed four runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning before Connor Jasurda closed out the top half of the fifth. The runs delayed the run-ruled decision for another half inning, when the WolfPack walked off with the ten-run victory when Holin singled in Lucas Trebian and Derek Lee.

Reuter, playing in his first game of the season after dealing with an injury, went 3 for 3 with four runs batted in and two runs scored as he set career-high marks for hits and RBI. Valk, a native of Appleton, Wisconsin, finished 2 for 4 with a team-high three runs scored and another two driven in. Holin also had a pair of hits and set new season-high marks with two runs scored and two batted in. LaRock was the fourth member of the WolfPack with multiple hits and was one of two players to score a run and drive one in.

Komar (1-0) picked up his first win of the year with his four-inning effort that produced three strikeouts and one hit.

Madison College now owns a 25-16 all-time lead over Triton College (14-10, 0-4).

Up Next:

Madison College (11-6, 2-0) hits the road Sunday, April 7 for a pair of games against Region IV foe Carl Sandburg College (10-7-1). The WolfPack are 12-2 all-time against the Chargers, who earned a split with the 'Pack in a late-season doubleheader in Madison last spring. First pitch of game one in Galesburg, Illinois, is set for 1:00 p.m.

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