MADISON, WISC. - Defense won the day Thursday for Madison College as they overcame a three-hit effort at the plate to get by Kankakee Community College 2-1 in the opening game of the 2023 NJCAA Region 4 Division II Baseball Tournament at Robin Roberts Field. The top-seeded WolfPack, ranked #7 in the latest NJCAA Division II Poll, scored both runs in the sixth inning to erase a one-run deficit despite being out-hit 8-3 by the fourth-seeded Cavaliers. The win is the tenth straight for the Pack, and gives them a 25-19 lead in the all-time series that includes 12 wins in 15 postseason meetings.

The defensive work started right away with a Madison erasing the game's first runner with a pickoff and rundown between second and third. In the second, the Pack turned a double play, and eventually got out of the inning with runners at the corners. A one-out double put runners on second and third for the Cavaliers in the third inning, however, a strikeout from reliever Nick West and a diving catch on a line drive to third by freshman Grant Ross got the home team out of another jam.



All three runs scored in the game came in the sixth inning, and it started with the first swing in the top half. The Cavaliers' right fielder sent the first offering from West over the left field wall for a 1-0 lead. Madison, which had one hit to that point in the game, opened with a leadoff single from Gabe Roessler that was followed by a hit batter and a walk to load the bases. Payton Frehner then hit a fielder's choice to the shortstop that scored Roessler to tie the game. Now with runners at the corners and Clayton Slack at the dish, KCC's pitcher threw a wild pitch and Carson Shepard sped home for the game-winning run. 

Madison College stranded three more runners in the seventh, and turned to first year arm Grant Ross to close out the win in the ninth. The righthander induced a leadoff ground out and fanned the next to batters to send the Pack to the semifinals.

Starter Chris Byhre kept the Braves off the scoreboard for two innings despite three hits, two free passes, and two wild pitches. West (6-1), a Verona, Wisconsin, native, worked six innings and struck out three batters en route to the win. He allowed one runs and five hits before turning it over to Ross for his fourth save of the season.



Freshman designated hitter Evan Iwinski, a native of Franklin, Wisconsin, went 2 for 3 to lead the offense, with Roessler picking up the other hit. Roessler and Shepard tallied the two runs, while Frehner was credited with the only RBI.

Kankakee Community College (34-21) will play an elimination game at 3:00 p.m. against third-seeded Black Hawk College (36-23).

Up Next: 

Madison College (42-10) advances to the semifinal round on Friday to face off with second-seeded McHenry County College (44-10). The teams split a home-and-home series with each winning on their home field. The WolfPack is 32-14-1 in head-to-head meetings with Scots, including a 6-2 mark in postseason games. First pitch is at noon at Robin Roberts Field, with the winner advancing to the championship game on Saturday, and the loser playing an elimination game at 3:00 p.m. Friday. 

Follow the tournament at Region4Tournament.com.

Watch all the games live at MadisonCollege.tv, and follow live stats of Madison College games via the GameChanger app.

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