MADISON, WISC. - They had yet to even practice at Robin Roberts Field prior to Friday, but wet weather in Illinois forced a scheduled doubleheader at Morton College to be relocated north and the Madison College baseball team took advantage with an 11-1 run-ruled decision in eight innings. The impromptu home opener was re-shuffled into a single, nine-inning game, and saw freshman Will Johannes open the game with his first career home run and sophomore Alex Hayes hold the Panthers bats in check. The win in their first Region 4 game of 2023 also gives the WolfPack a 21-6 lead in the all-time series.

Following a 1-2-3 top of the first, Madison College got a two-out single from Gabe Roessler that was followed by a rocket over the right-center field wall to make it a 2-0 lead. A pair of walks to start the bottom of the fourth put the WolfPack in scoring position, and after a sacrifice bunt by Clayton Slack advanced the runner to second and third, a Morton error allowed Carter Stebane to score. A second sac bunt by Jake Petasek plated Payton Frehner and the Pack owned a 4-0 edge.



The Panthers tallied their lone run in the fifth inning after a single, an error on an attempted pick-off, and a ground out. Madison made it 7-1 in the sixth with three runs on five walks and a hit. Three early walks loaded the bases and sophomore Nick Nowak singled in Slack. A Roessler fielder's choice plated another run, and the final base on balls issued to Stebane forced in Carson Shepard.

After adding one run in the seventh, the WolfPack closed out the run-rule victory with three more runs. Roessler and Ryan Santi both singled in a run to set up Grant Ross with an opportunity for the walk-off RBI, and the freshman delivered with a single through the left side to drive in Johannes.

Johannes, a Mukwonago, Wisconsin, native, went 1 for 2 with a home run and three walks. He finished with two runs scored and two batted in. Roessler led the Pack with three hits en route to two RBI and two runs scored. Nowak also produced a multi-hit game with two base knocks, and matched Stebane, Kirchberg, and Petasek with a run and a run driven in. Ross finished with a hit and two runs batted in.

On the mound, Hayes (2-0) tossed seven strong innings as the lefthander allowed just one unearned run on four hits and struck out two. Freshman Allen Leitner pitched a scoreless eighth inning with one K and two hits.

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