MADISON, WISC. - Saturday's Region 4 doubleheader between at Robin Roberts Field featured an intriguing pitching matchup between two of the NJCAA's top arms. Madison College's Michael Carpenter not only won that battle, but he propelled the WolfPack to a significant sweep of Kankakee Community College with wins of 5-0 and 10-1 to improve their current win streak to five straight. The Pack are now 27-19 all-time against the Cavaliers, winning three straight and eight of the last nine.

Game #1: #14 Madison College 5, Kankakee Community College 0

Michael Carpenter (6-2) extended his scoreless innings streak to 34-plus innings as he held Kankakee Community College to six hits and a walk over seven innings en route to the shutout victory and his fifth complete game effort this season. As a result, the sophomore from Hartland, Wisconsin, now leads NJCAA Division II with a 1.05 earned run average, with six earned runs over 51.1 innings pitched. The righthander struck out six, while his counterpart, Graham Kasey from the Cavaliers, allowed five runs over five innings with two K's to drop from third to fourth in ERA at 1.74.

The WolfPack broke a scoreless tie in the second as sophomore Jake Petasek's ground ball made it through the left side and allowed Will Johannes to score from second.

It remained a 1-0 game until Madison College generated a two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth to put four more runs on the scoreboard. Freshman Jalen Gellings lined a single to left to plate Nick Nowak. With the bases loaded, Payton Frehner was hit by a pitch to force in Gellings for a 3-0  lead. Johannes followed another single to left, scoring Charlie Schau and Charlie Marion.

Johannes, a native of Mukwonago, Wisconsin, tallied two hits, two runs batted in, and a run scored. Gellings also finished with a pair of hits, and generated a run and a RBI, while Schau's two hits led to a run scored.

Game #2: #14 Madison College 10, Kankakee Community College 1

Madison College nearly pulled off 14 innings of shutout baseball; however, Kankakee Community College (29-18-1) managed to score a single run in the fifth inning of game two after the home team had already built a 6-0 advantage.

Freshmen James Duncan and Howie Rickett came through with consecutive run-scoring singles in the second inning to score Payton Frehner and Grant Ross, respectively. The two-run advantage grew to 5-0 in the third on two hits, two errors, and a walk. Consecutive singles from Charlie Schau and Charlie Marion started the frame, and an error by the Cavaliers loaded the bases. Grant Ross induced a walk to force in a run. The next at bat saw Duncan hit a potential inning-ending double-play ball to the shortstop, but a throwing error on the second baseman allowed two more runs to score.

Charlie Marion drove in another run in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Nick Nowak to tag up and score. After KCC generated their lone run of the day on a productive ground out to make it a 6-1 game, Madison College eventually tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Schau, whose single to left brought in Rickett. Marion followed with a single to right and Nowak touched home for a seven-run advantage. Pinch hitter Kobe Vosberg made it 9-1 with a sac fly to right, and Ross completed the scoring with a RBI-single to center to drive in Marion.

Schau, a native of Park Ridge, Illinois, produced his second 4 for 4 game this month and now owns a six-game hitting streak during which he's batting .590 (13 for 22), with nine runs scored, and five RBI. He now leads the team with a .412 batting average on the season, which also places him in the top 50 in NJCAA Division II. Schau scored two runs and drove in another in the win.

Marion was right behind him in the lineup and finished 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBI. Gellings also had two hits for the Pack. Nowak and Frehner joined Schau and Marion with two runs scored, while Ross and Duncan matched Marion with two runs batted in.

On the hill, starter Eli Hoyt worked 2.2 innings of scoreless baseball, holding the Cavaliers to two hits and a walk. The sophomore from Waukesha, Wisconsin, struck out three as he continues to work back from injury. Ryan Karst (1-0), also back from injury, earned his first collegiate victory after giving up a run, two hits, and a walk in his 3.1 innings. The transfer from University of Illinois-Chicago fanned two before Allen Leitner closed out the win. He pitched the seventh, striking out two batters and giving up just one hit.

Up Next:

Madison College (27-9) wraps up the current homestand on Tuesday, April 30 with a 1x9 against Region 4 for McHenry County College (34-11), who made the move to NJCAA Division I in 2024. The game is the start of a home-and-home series that concludes Wednesday on the Scots home field. The WolfPack is 34-14-1 in head-to-head meetings. First pitch at Robin Roberts Field is set for 3:00 p.m. Stream live at MadisonCollege.TV and follow the game via the GameChanger app.

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