GRAYSLAKE, ILL - After running off an impressive 15-straight wins with the #1-ranking bullseye on their back, the Madison College baseball team hit the road for the first time in two weeks Tuesday and return with a pair of tough Region 4 losses to the College of Lake County. The Lancers ended the streak with a 3-1 decision in the opener, and then erased the WolfPack's five-run advantage in the nightcap with an 8-7 walk-off win. The Pack still owns a 30-7 all-time lead over CLC. Coach Mike Davenport entered the day two wins shy of 1,000 for his career, and remains at 998.

Game #1: College of Lake County 3, #1 Madison College 1

The host Lancers were the first to put runs on the board in the day's first game, following two singles with a sacrifice bunt and a run-producing base hit against starter Alex Hayes.

However, Madison College answered right back with their first run in the fourth. After singles by Gunnar Doyle and Brady Jurgella, second baseman Jake Nelson grounded a ball through the left side to make it 2-1.

Still a one-run differential in the sixth, College of Lake County added an insurance run with a passed ball while the bases were loaded.

Madison College generated just five hits in the game, with two coming off the bat of Jurgella. The Menasha, Wisconsin, native leads the team with 46 hits and is second in batting average at .418.

Doyle finished with a hit and a run, while Nelson produced a hit and a RBI.

Hayes (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season despite holding the Lancers to three earned runs on seven hits. The native of Muskego, Wisconsin, struck out four over five innings before Luke Hansel pitched one inning and registered a walk and a strikeout. 

Game #2: College of Lake County 8, #1 Madison College 7

Game two appeared to be headed into the left-hand column for Madison College as they built a 7-2 lead through five-and-a-half innings. Jake Nelson singled home Zach Storbakken in the second, and six hits and a walk added up to five runs in the fourth. Nelson struck again, hitting a grounder back up the middle to plate Gunnar Doyle and Brady Jurgella. Freshman DH Carter Stebane's two-run single up the middle drove in Jake Fulton and Nelson, and then later crossed home thanks to a sacrifice fly from Gabe Roessler.

A College of Lake County (25-16) home run in the home half of the fourth made it 6-2. The WolfPack regained the five-run lead in the sixth when Eli Kramer followed consecutive walks with a single to center to score Stebane.

From that point on, it was all Lancers, who trimmed the differential to 7-4 in the sixth courtesy of a two-run error. The home team then found a spark with two outs in the seventh and two runners one. A single and an error each drove in a run to make it a 7-6 contest, and saw the WolfPack turn to Riley LeTourneau out of the bullpen to spell Chris Byhre. LeTourneau's third pitch was lined to right, allowing two runs to score for the walk-off loss.

Starter Isaiah Cerfus worked five innings and was tagged for four earned runs on four hits and three walks. He also hit a batter and tossed two wild pitches, while striking out one. Byhre (1-1), a fellow right-hander, went 1.2 innings with one earned run out of four total runs allowed, and was credited with the loss for his first of the season. He was credited with two K's, two hits, and a walk.

Nelson, a former Altoona HS athlete, drove in three runs and scored another as he went 2 for 4. Stebane finished 2 for 2 with a walk, and was able to generate a team-high two runs scored and two RBI. Kramer also posted multiple hits and drove in one run.

Up Next: 

Following their first back-to-back losses of the season, Madison College (31-5, 7-1) stays on the road for a crucial doubleheader in the race for the North Central Community College Conference championship when they play at Joliet Junior College (29-17, 8-0) on Friday, April 29, a twin bill that was moved up a day from April 30. The Wolves, who are currently ranked #10 in the NJCAA Division III Poll, sit one game ahead of the WolfPack in the league standings. The Pack has won three straight and has a 38-19 lead in the head-to-head series. First pitch in Joliet, Illinois, is at 12:30 p.m., with an expected 3:30 p.m. start for the finale. Watch live and follow live stats via the GameChanger app.

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