ROCKFORD, ILL. - The Madison College baseball team improved to 8-0 in nine-inning games with a 14-4 victory at Region 4 opponent Rock Valley College on Thursday. The WolfPack turned around an early two-run deficit with a six-run sixth inning to push their win streak to five, with the team also producing its eighth straight game with nine or more runs. The win in the first of a home-and-home series with the Golden Eagles that is scheduled to wrap up Monday, April 10 in Madison marks their fifth consecutive victory over RVC, and improved their edge in the all-time series by a 40-22 margin.

Rock Valley College (15-12) opened the game with four consecutive hits against WolfPack starter Chris Byhre, who gave up a two-run double to give the home team an early advantage. Still a 2-0 game through four innings, Madison got to work at the plate with two runs on three hits in the fifth. Freshman Charlie Marion's productive day began with a RBI single to right, and was followed by a triple from Gabe Roessler to even the score at 2-2.

The tide of the game fully turned in the sixth with six runs on five hits and four free passes. Clayton Slack singled in Grant Ross to get the rally started, and a bases loaded walk of Nick Nowak made it 4-0. Marion added to his RBI total with a two-run-scoring double to right, which was followed two batters later by another run-producing hit from Will Johannes. The scoring surge was capped with a hit by pitch of Ross with the bases loaded to make it 8-2. 

The Golden Eagles added a run in the home half of the sixth, and another in the seventh to get within four. Madison put the game out of reach in the ninth. With the bases loaded, freshman Carson Shepard drove in a run with a single, and Marion followed suit to make it 10-4. Two more bases loaded walks added two more runs, and Colin Obermann's single up the middle yielded the final run in the ten-run victory.

Marion set a new career-high with four runs batted in, while matching previous career-high marks with three hits and three runs scored. The Franklin, Wisconsin, native is 12 for 22 (.545) during his current five-game hitting streak with 12 runs scored and seven batted in.

Slack, a fellow first year from Viroqua, Wisconsin, also had a career day with new three hits and three runs scored, while also driving in a run. Ross was 2 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored to help the Pack rack up double-digit hits for the seventh time in the last eight outings.

Byhre, a righthander from Delafield, Wisconsin, worked five innings and improved to 2-1 on the season with the win. He allowed two runs on four hits and a walk, while fanning six batters. Byhre has struck out five or more in three consecutive outings.

Kellan Short and Nick West each worked two innings in relief. Short was tagged for a couple runs on four hits and a walk, while West limited RVC to a hit and a walk. They combined for three more K's.

Up Next: 

Madison College (15-3) is on the road Friday, April 7 for a doubleheader at Waubonsee Community College (7-12) in Sugar Grove, Illinois. The start times of the twin bill were moved up an hour to 1:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. The WolfPack is 15-10 all-time against the Chiefs.

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