PHOENIX, ARIZ. - Following a rare two days of postponed and canceled games - the first ever for a Madison College baseball trip to Arizona - the #2-ranked WolfPack completed their stay in the desert with a pair of nine-inning wins Friday. The day opened with a 6-4 victory over Paradise Valley Community College, and ended with a 6-1 defeat of GateWay Community College in a game rescheduled from Wednesday and played at PVCC. Madison College finishes the nine-day stay with an 8-2 record, their second best spring trip mark after last year's 11-0 venture.

Game #1: #2 Madison College 6, Paradise Valley Community College 4

Paradise Valley, who is receiving votes in the NJCAA Division II Poll, broke a scoreless game in the fourth inning. The Pumas loaded the bases on a walk and two singles against reliever Evan Iwinski, and then a bases-clearing double to center made it 3-0. The lead was short-lived as the WolfPack answered in the top of the fifth by also loading the bases, and then using a walk, a hit by pitch, and a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3.

Madison College again loaded the bases in the seventh with a hit and two walks, bringing sophomore Carter Stebane to the plate. His pop fly single to center with two outs drove in a pair of runs for a 5-3 lead. The advantage swelled to 6-3 in the eighth as Nick Nowak drove in Jake Petasek with a two-out single to center. The Pumas made Pack earn it in the ninth as they plated one run and put the tying run in scoring position before reliever Grant Ross ended the game by tracking down an infield bloop to make a catch between first and second.

Nowak, a Waukesha, Wisconsin, native, enjoyed his first career three-hit game and drove in two runs. Petasek also produced multiple hits with a 2 for 4 game that included two runs scored.

Madison College used seven different pitchers in the win. Starter Eli Hoyt struck out the first batter he faced, and the left the game during the second at bat. Freshman Andres Kleinsek (1-0) took over and earned his first career victory with two perfect innings and one strikeout. Liam Stumpf also pitched two innings, however, he was tagged for two runs on five hits, while also picking up three strikeouts. Adam Balcerak went 1.2 innings with two K's, and Evan Iwinski gave up one run, one hit, and one walk in his lone inning. LeTourneau was tagged for a run on a hit and two walks, while striking out one before giving way to Ross for his first career save.

Game #2: #2 Madison College 6, GateWay Community College 1

Both teams squandered scoring opportunities with a runner on second over the first two innings before the Geckos were able to punch across a run in the third. Gateway used three singles against freshman starter Ben Kasten to take a 1-0 lead. The WolfPack bats came to life in the top of the fifth with five hits that yielded four runs. The inning opened with three consecutive hits, and a wild pitch with the bases loaded brought Trace Kirchberg in to tie the score. First year utility player Carson Shepard then ripped a one-out double to center to score Grant Ross and Evan Iwinski. Shepard eventually touched home courtesy of a Will Johannes sacrifice fly to center.

Madison College added another run in the seventh with Nick Nowak racing in on another wild pitch to make it 5-1. A balk and an error in the same at bat in the top of the ninth inning produced the last WolfPack run, making it 6-1.

The WolfPack finished with eight hits by seven different players, leaving sophomore Gabe Roessler as the only player with two hits in the contest. Shepard, a native of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, led the team with a career-high two runs scored and two runs batted in as part of a 1 for 4 day at the plate. 

Kasten, a Hales Corners, Wisconsin, native making his first start, tossed four innings and allowed one run on three hits and two walks. He struck out four batters, but did not work enough innings to get credit for the win. Righthander Eamonn Mulhern (1-0) was given the win after the former Madison East HS athlete pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning with one hit allowed. Fellow freshman Michael Carpenter tossed three scoreless innings in relief with two K's, two hits, and a walk.  Sophomore Kellan Short pitched the the ninth and fanned one batter.

GateWay Community College owns a 9-5 lead in the all-time series, however, Madison College has now won two straight.

Up Next:

Madison College (8-2) returns to the diamond on Friday, March 24 to begin a seven-game road swing in Illinois before their home opener on April 1. The WolfPack will play a doubleheader at Morton College (6-5-1) to begin Region 4 competition. Madison College is 20-6 al-time against the Panthers. Game one is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. first pitch, followed by an approximate 5:00 p.m. start for the nightcap. 

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