ENID, OKLA. - A busy final day at the
2021 NJCAA Division II World Series provided a season-defining moment and the season's ultimate conclusion as the Madison College baseball team split two games Tuesday at
David Allen Memorial Ballpark. The fifth-seeded WolfPack lost a big lead in their elimination second round game, and then produced the season's biggest clutch hit for a 9-8 walk-off win over eighth-seeded Phoenix College. Hours later the 'Pack fell for the second time to fourth-seeded Kellogg Community College 9-5 in an elimination quarterfinal the eliminated them from the double-elimination tournament. Madison College finished the 2021 season with a 45-14 record and in the final six in the nation.
Game #3: (5) Madison College 9, (8) Phoenix College 8
In a game postponed 24 hours due to wet conditions, Madison College celebrated a dramatic victory in an elimination game. Phoenix College rallied with three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game at 8-8, using back-to-back run-producing doubles. The bottom of the ninth opened with a hit-by-pitch that put
Gunnar Doyle on first base. He would eventually steal second and remain there as
Spencer Bartel singled. That brought centerfielder
Brady Jurgella to the plate still seeking his first hit of the entire tournament. Jurgella sent the first pitch he saw towards second base, and it hopped past the second baseman's glove and Doyle raced in from second to beat the throw home from centerfield, setting off a wild celebration.
Madison College seemed destined for a fairly easy win as it built a 7-1 lead over the first five innings. Bartel and
Kameron Laskowski each singled in a run in the second as the 'Pack went up 2-0. The Bears got one run back in the third, and an inning later the WolfPack used another Bartel RBI-single to make it 3-1. Madison College then produced its highest-scoring inning of the tournament with four runs on three hits. With the bases loaded and a new pitcher on the mound, Doyle ripped a double to left that cleared the bases. First baseman
Logan Mantz singled to center to score Doyle and give the WolfPack a six-run advantage.
Phoenix College (26-23) began chipping away at the lead immediately, with three runs in the sixth and another run in the seventh. Madison College again loaded the bases in the eighth with one out, and generated one run when
Jake Fulton singled in Bartel to go ahead 8-5 heading to the ninth inning.
Bartel, a Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, native, followed his three-hit effort two days prior with a career-best 4 for 4 day with two runs scored and one batted in. Doyle, playing as the designated hitter, posted a 3 for 4 day at the plate. The native of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, finished with a team-best three runs scored and three runs batted in. Mantz also had multiple hits, going 2 for 4 with a RBI and a run scored. That trio formed the middle of the WolfPack lineup and combined to go 9 for 13 with six runs and five runs driven in.
Another Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, product,
Carson Fluno, made his seventh pitching start of the season, and worked a season-high six innings. The righthander allowed four earned runs on five hits and six walks, while striking out two.
Jack McNeil took over in the seventh and surrendered four earned runs, four hits, a walk, and two K's. Closer
Jett Thielke (3-2) was brought in to record the final out of the ninth inning, which also made him the winning pitcher.
Madison College is now 4-1 all-time against Phoenix College.
Game #4: (4) Kellogg Community College 9, (5) Madison College 5
A rematch from Saturday's tournament opener that ended in a
5-1 setback, Madison College and Kellogg Community College squared off with a spot in the semifinals on the line. The Bruins raced out to a 7-0 lead, ignited by a lead-off home run in the second against starter
Alex Redman. Three hits in the third produced three more runs, followed by a three-run fourth that also started with a solo home run.
Madison College finally got on the board in the fourth, and did so in a big way. With a runner on and two outs,
Logan Mantz crushed an opposite field home run for the WolfPack's first long ball of the tournament. Following another KCC run in the top of the fifth, the 'Pack cut the deficit to 8-4 in the bottom half.
Brady Jurgella doubled to open the inning, and scored three batters later on an error. A double-steal later in the frame put runners at second and third with two outs, and
Gunnar Doyle blooped a single to left to score
Zach Storbakken. Shortstop
Jake Nelson's single in the sixth plated Mantz, who led off with a double, and pulled Madison College to within 8-5. The Bruins added another insurance run in the seventh, and held off the 'Pack the rest of the game. Madiosn College did have runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth, however, they remained stranded as
Nathan Ebersole and Nelson were retired.
Redman, a lefty from Marquette University HS, suffered his first loss of the season to fall to 9-1. He was tagged for eight earned runs, ten hits, four walks, and three walks over 4.1 innings.
Patrick Foldy, a sophomore from Colgate, Wisconsin, tossed the final 4.2 innings and limited Kellogg Community College to a run on one hit and a walk, while fanning three.
Mantz, a native of Slinger, Wisconsin, was 3 for 3 with two runs and two runs batted in, leading the WolfPack in all three categories.
Kameron Laskowski, Jurgella, and Nelson all registered two hits in the game.
Madison College is now 1-2 against Kellogg Community College (37-12), with all three meetings coming at the NJCAA Division II World Series.
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