CHANDLER, ARIZ. - Picking up where they left off last year, the Madison College baseball team opened the 2023 season with a doubleheader sweep of Chandler-Gilbert Community College to begin their annual Arizona Spring Trip on Thursday. The WolfPack, ranked #2 in the NJCAA Division II Preseason Poll, broke a late tie to claim the opener 8-7 after losing an early 7-0 lead, and then held off a late comeback attempt from the Coyotes to win the nightcap 3-2. Madison College used a sweep of CGCC to propel them to an 11-0 mark in the desert last year, and are now 8-2 all-time in the head-to-head series with seven straight wins.

Game #1: #2 Madison College 8, Chandler-Gilbert Community College 7

Madison College jumped out to a 2-0 lead in just three batters thanks to a lead-off walk to Dayton Rozinski-Hicks, a wild pitch and an error by the Coyotes, and a sacrifice fly from Gabe Roessler. It remained 2-0 until the fourth inning, where a single and an error put runners on with one out. Sophomore Carter Stebane roped a double to left to drive in Grant Ross. Two batters later, freshman first baseman Ryan Santi singled up to middle and plated Charlie Marion. Before the inning was over, Stebane touched home on a wild pitch, and Rozinski-Hickd singled in Santi for a five-run frame to make it 7-0.

Chandler-Gilbert CC began their comeback with three runs in the fourth on three hit and a walk. A lead-off home run in the sixth ignited a four-run frame to tie the score at 7-7.

Back-to-back walks to open the top of the seventh gave Madison College a scoring opportunity they did not waste. An error on a pick off attempt at second base allowed Rozinski-Hicks to advance to third, and Roessler produced his second sac fly to drive in the go-ahead run. Ross closed out the win with a 12-pitch, four-batter bottom of the seventh.

Rozinski-Hicks, a first year player from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, went 1 for 2 with a team-best two walks, two runs scored, and two runs batted in. Santi, a native of Oak Creek, Wisconsin, led the Pack with a 2 for 3 effort at the plate. He and Stebane each had a runs scored and one batted in.

Starter Eli Hoyt worked five innings and allowed three earned runs on five hits and four walks. The sophomore righthander from Waukesha, Wisconsin tallied seven strikeouts before giving way to fellow second year Isaiah Cerfus, who surrendered three earned runs on three hits, two free passes, and a strikeout. Cerfus, however, was unable to get out of the sixth inning, bringing in Ross (1-0) to close out the game and the win.

Game #2: #2 Madison College 3, Chandler-Gilbert Community College 2

Scoreless through two innings in the day's second game, the WolfPack rallied with two outs in the third to put a run on the board. Freshman Jake Petasek single up the middle and reached second on an error. First year outfielder Carson Shepard followed with a double past the centerfielder to drive in Petasek for a 1-0 lead.

The same duo had a flash of dejà vü in the fifth inning as Petasek hit a two-out single to center, and Shepard followed with another two-bagger to the centerfield wall that scored Petasek. What proved to be the game-winning run came in the seventh, which opened with a Payton Frehner triple. Three batters later, Shepard completed his impressive day with a sacrifice bunt that brought in Frehner.

Chandler-Gilbert Community College (13-10) nearly forced extra innings by scoring two runs before closer Chris Byhre induced a 5-3 groundout to end the game.

Starter Alex Hayes (1-0) did not allow a run over six innings on the hill, while striking out a career-high-tying nine batters. The native of Muskego, Wisconsin, did walk two before handing off to Byhre for the final inning. Byhre (S, 1) gave up two runs on a hit, a walk, and a wild pitch before closing out his third career save.

Shepard, a Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, product, went 2 for 3 with three runs batted in. Petasek, a former Green Bay Preble HS athlete, scored two times and was 2 for 2 at the plate. 

Up Next:

Madison College (2-0) will play its first nine-inning game Friday with a 1:00 p.m. CT first pitch against Mesa Community College (12-12) in Mesa, Arizona. The Thunderbirds lead the all-time series by a 6-3 margin. Follow and watch the game via the GameChanger app.

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