NORMAL, ILL. - Meeting for the second time on a neutral field, Madison College and Carl Sandburg College produced one of the season's most dramatic games, with the #2 WolfPack earning a come-from-behind 10-9 win Tuesday at Duffy Bass Field on the campus of Illinois State University. The Pack erased an early 6-0 deficit with a seven-run fifth inning before holding off the Chargers for a full sweep of the regular season series between the two Region 4 foes. Madison College, which previously took down CSC in a doubleheader played in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, on April 10 by scores of 7-2 and 5-2, now owns an eight game win streak in head-to-head matchups and a 19-4 edge in the all-time series

Carl Sandburg College (22-18) got things going early with four runs in the bottom half of the first inning against pitcher Isaiah Cerfus. The Chargers loaded the bases on an error, a walk, and a hit batter, and used back-to-back base hits to generate the runs. Jacob Arndt took over in the third, however, a wild pitch and a passed ball on consecutive pitches brought in another run ahead of a run-scoring single in the fourth made it 6-0.

The WolfPack showed their resolve with a monster fifth inning, using five hits, including four for extra bases, two walks, and an error to take a 7-6 lead. Eduardo Saucedo started the rally with a double to right to score Jake Fulton, and Eli Kramer followed with a sacrifice fly that brought in Carter Stebane. Then with two outs on the board, Gunnar Doyle doubled in Saucedo, and Brady Jurgella's triple to the centerfield added two more runs with Doyle and Zach Storbakken scoring to pull the Pack within one. Consecutive hits from Cameron Dupont and Fulton pulled the visitors even, and then put them on top for good.

Still 7-6 entering the eighth inning, Madison College was gifted a run when the Chargers catcher committed an error and Fulton was able to score from third. Carl Sandburg College answered with a RBI-double in the bottom half, only to see the WolfPack drive in two more runs in the ninth. Three consecutive walks loaded the bases with one out, and Stebane and Kramer came through with clutch singles to score Jurgella and Dupont for a 10-7 lead.

The three-run differential proved ot be just enough, as CSC tried to rally in their final at-bats. After reliever Alex Hayes retired the first two batters, the Chargers recorded a triple and a two-run home run to make it 10-9. A single by the next batter put the tying run on base, but Hayes coaxed a game-ending ground ball to shortstop Gabe Roessler.

Madison College finished with 13 hits, led by three from Gunnar Doyle. Those base knocks yielded a run and a RBI. Storbakken and Fulton each had two hits as every spot in the lineup recorded at least one base knock. Jurgella used his lone hit and a walk to drive in two runs and score two others, while Fulton and Dupont both had two runs scored and one batted in. Kramer matched Jurgella with two runs driven in.

The WolfPack used four arms en route to the win, which was credited to Chris Byhre (2-1). The right-hander from Delafield, Wisconsin, tossed three innings of scoreless baseball with just one hit allowed, three walks issued, and three strikeouts recorded. Hayes picked up his first career save despite surrendering three runs, two of which were earned, over the game's final two innings. He gave up five hits and fanned four batters. Cerfus worked two innings and was tagged for three earned runs on two hits and a walk, while striking out one. Arndt provided two innings in relief, with one earned run on three hits, a walk, and a K.

Tuesday's game was a rescheduled contest from a March 27 doubleheader that was rained out. It was switched to a single, nine-inning game when the teams were forced to change venues to ISU.

Up Next: 

Madison College (35-6) will continue a run to three consecutive nine-inning games when they host Highland Community College (13-28) on Thursday, May 5 at Robin Roberts Field. The WolfPack swept the Cougars in Freeport, Illinois, on April 1 by scores of 21-0 and 7-2, and have now won seven straight meetings and boast a 42-6 all-time series lead. First pitch is at 3:00 p.m., and can be watched live at MadisonCollege.tv with live stats available via the GameChanger app.

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