GALESBURG, ILL. - One day after a foot of snow dropped in Madison, the #2-ranked WolfPack traveled south to green grass and sunshine for a Region 4 doubleheader against Carl Sandburg College. Madison College rolled to a 9-0 win in the opener thanks to six brilliant innings from sophomore Chris Byhre, however, the Chargers rallied late to overcome a five-run deficit and win a 13-12 shootout. The loss snapped an eight-game win streak in the head-to-head series for the Pack, who boast a 20-5 all-time lead. 

Game #1: #2 Madison College 9, Carl Sandburg College 0 (7 innings)

Madison took a 2-0 lead in the second inning when sophomore Dayton Rozinski-Hicks followed a run-scoring wild pitch with a single through the right side to to drive in Grant Ross. An inning later, Gabe Roessler hit a base knock to right field to bring in Nick Nowak from second base for a three-run advantage.

The WolfPack doubled their output in the fourth thanks to two walks, an error, and a single. With two outs and two on after back-to-back free passes, Nowak hit a ground ball towards short that the Chargers misplayed and allowed Rozinski-Hicks to come in to score. Then freshman Jake Petasek ripped a single back up the middle that allowed both Nowak and Colin Obermann to touch home.



In the sixth inning, Roessler reached on an error with two outs, setting up freshman Will Johannes to smash a two-run home run to right field. It marked the second homer in as many games for the former Mukwonago HS athlete. Leading 8-0 entering the seventh, Madison capped the scoring with an Obermann RBI-single to center that plated Ross.

While the WolfPack bats were racking up runs, sophomore Chris Byhre (1-1) was dealing. The righthander from Delafield, Wisconsin, scattered six hits over six and struck out a career-best seven batters to earn the win. Freshman Nick West fanned two in a perfect seventh inning.

Johannes led the offense with a pair of hits, including the home run, two runs batted in, and a run scored. Petasek also produced two RBI. Nowak and Ross were tops with two runs scored. Seven different players registered a hit for the Pack.

Game #2: Carl Sandburg College 13, #2 Madison College 12 (7 innings)

Game two of the day proved to be much more of a rollercoaster ride for both teams as they combined for 25 runs, 23 hits, and six errors. The Chargers struck first with a solo home run off freshman starter Michael Carpenter in the second inning. Madison answered in the top of the third with a six-run frame off three free-passes, an error, and two hits. With the bases loaded and two outs, Peyton Frehner grounded a single to right field that drove in Gabe Roessler and Carter Stebane. Two batters later, fellow first year Carson Shepard lined a base hit to left to plate Frehner, Iwinski, and Ryan Santi. A wild pitch in the final at bat brought in Shepard to make it 6-1. 

The Chargers came right back in the bottom half with four runs, highlighted by a three-run homer. Freshman Trace Kirchberg made it 7-5 with a sacrifice fly in the fourth, and Stebane drove in Dayton Rozinski-Hicks with a single in the fifth for a three-run lead. After CSC added a run in their half of the fifth, the WolfPack loaded the bases in the sixth off three consecutive hit batters. With two outs, a wild pitch scored one run and Stebane laced a line drive to left to score the other two to give the Pack a 11-6 lead.

Unfortunately, Carl Sandburg College (4-11) exploded for seven runs to grab their first lead since it was 1-0. Madison allowed six hits, including the third home run of the game for the Chargers, and now trailed 13-11 entering their final at-bats. Handed another bases loaded and two outs situation, Petasek drew a team's seventh walk of the day to force in a run and bring the tying run to third base. First year shortstop Clayton Slack hit a rope to the second baseman to end the game.

Nine different players had a hit for the WolfPack, led by Stebane's 2 for 3 effort with a season-high three runs batted in and two runs scored. Frehner, a Waukesha, Wisconsin, native, also had two hits, two runs scored, and two RBI. Shepard finished with a hit, two runs drive in, and one scored.

Carpenter, a lefty from Hartland, Wisconsin, was tagged for two earned runs on five hits and a walk in his four innings. He struck out a career-high five batters in second start of the year. Second year arm Kellan Short worked one innings and surrendered four runs on four hits. Sophomore transfer Logan LeTourneau (0-1) entered to try and maintain the five-run lead, but was credited with four unearned runs, three hits, and a walk in two-thirds of an inning. He did strike out one and took his first loss of the season before Liam Stumpf came in to fan the only batter he faced.

Up Next: 

Madison College (10-3) hits the road on Wednesday, March 29 for a single, nine-inning game at the College of Lake County (11-3). It's a home-and-home series that will wrap up with a 1x9 in Madison on April 25. The WolfPack owns a 30-7 lead all-time over the Lancers, who swept a home doubleheader over the Pack last year. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. in Grayslake, Illinois.

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