MADISON, WISC. - The Madison College baseball team overcame visiting Sauk Valley Community College in a Region 4 doubleheader Thursday to snap a two-game losing skid. The WolfPack engineered an 11-10 walk-off win in a back-and-forth opener, and then broke open another close game with a five-run sixth inning to close out the sweep of the Skyhawks with a 15-8 decision. Trace Kirchberg finished the day with five hits and five runs scored and two runs batted it, with fellow first year Will Johannes driving in four runs in the nightcap. The two victories push the Pack's head-to-head win streak over SVCC to 15 straight, and improve their all-time lead to 25-8.

Game #1: #3 Madison College 11, Sauk Valley Community College 10

The Skyhawks grabbed an early 3-0 lead with three extra base hits in the first half inning. Charlie Marion singled in Dayton Rozinski-Hicks in the home half to put Madison on the board, and a big five-run fifth gave the WolfPack a 6-3 advantage. Nick Nowak's two-run double got the scoring started, and Rozinski-Hicks and Grant Ross each drove in a run with a base hit. Three consecutive walks forced in a run to complete the scoring surge.

Unfortunately, Sauk Valley had an answer in the third with five runs of their own on seven hits, including six straight, and a walk. Now trailing 8-6, Madison reeled off four runs to produce the game's third lead change in as many innings. Four consecutive hits opened the inning, with Rozinski-Hicks picking up his second RBI with a bunt single. The second year outfielder later scored along with Nowak on a Skyhawks error, and freshman Evan Iwinski single to the right side plated Ross to make it 10-8.

Sauk Valley Community College quickly evened the score at 10-10 in the first three batters of the fourth inning, and it remained that way until the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Ross reached on an error by the SVCC second baseman that also allowed him to advanced to second. He moved to third on a wild pitch, and raced in for the game-winning run on a passed ball three pitches later.

Kirchberg, a native of Columbus, Wisconsin, led the hit parade with a 3 for 4 effort at the plate with two runs scored. Rozinski-Hicks, a former Milwaukee Reagan HS athlete, finished 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, three runs scored, and two RBI. Ross also boasted three runs and two driven in with his lone hit. Nowak and Iwinski combined for four hits, four runs batted in, and three runs scored.

Second year starter Kellan Short was tagged for eight runs on ten hits over the first two innings before giving way to freshman Adam Balcerak, who worked three innings and limited SVCC to two runs, three hits, and a walk with three strikeouts. First year righthander Nick West (3-1) took over for the sixth and seventh innings to secure the win with two scoreless and hitless innings with three K's.

Game #2: #3 Madison College 15, Sauk Valley Community College 8

The day's second game produced another high-scoring, back-and-forth affair with Sauk Valley Community College (8-19) taking an early 2-0 lead with the first four batters all reaching via a base hit. The WolfPack used a two-out rally to take a 3-2 advantage when Will Johannes followed a Charlie Marion run-scoring single with a two-RBI double.

The Skyhawks kept coming and tallied three more runs in the second, regaining the lead at 5-3. Madison went ahead in the third with one big swing of the bat. Jake Petasek doubled to lead off, and scored on a single up the middle by Clayton Slack. Trailing by one and with two outs on the board, Johannes stepped to the plate and smashed his team-leading third home run, a two-run blast to right for a 6-5 edge. 

A wild pitch in the fourth plated Trace Kirchberg, and in the fifth, SVCC put two more runs on the scoreboard to tie it up at 7-7. In the bottom of the fifth, the Pack took the lead for good with a three-spot the featured RBI's for Kirchberg, Colin Obermann, and Dayton Rozinski-Hicks. The game became lopsided in the sixth when the home team used five hits, two hit by pitches, two wild pitches, and an error to score five runs. Payton Frehner, Kirchberg, Rozinski-Hicks, and Slack all drove in a run, with Kirchberg's coming on a triple. 

Johannes, a native of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, native was a perfect 3 for 3 with a walk, four runs batted in, and three runs scored, setting a career-high in hits and RBI. Four others reached two hits, including Kirchberg. He had three runs scored and two driven in.

Slack had two hits, two RBI, and a run scored, while Frehner had two hits, two runs, and a RBI. Petasek also had two base knocks en route to crossing home twice. Madison College racked up 26 runs and 26 hits in the twin bill.

Freshman Liam Stumpf (3-0) remained perfect on the year, tossing six innings with eight hits and three walks to allow eight runs, four of which were earned. He set down a season-high five batters via the K. Evan Iwinski stepped in for the seventh inning, and after loading the bases on two walks and a hit, struck out the next three batters to end the game.

Up Next: 

Madison College (22-5) is off Friday after playing five games in four days, and will travel to play Region 4 foe Kankakee Community College (21-8) on Saturday, April 15, before returning home to host Kishwaukee College (3-24) for a Sunday afternoon 1x9. The WolfPack is 23-18 over the Cavaliers with four straight wins. Game times in Kankakee, Illinois, are set for noon and 3:00 p.m. The head-to-head with the Kougars favors the Pack 39-24-1 with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. at Robin Roberts Field. 

Watch and follow Saturday's games via the GameChanger app, and catch Sunday's tilt is live at MadisonCollege.tv.

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