ENID, OKLA. - Two days after completing one of the most improbable come-from-behind wins in program and NJCAA Division II Baseball World Series history with a 12-10 win over #3-seed East Central Community College from being down nine runs, Madison College came up short in trying to duplicate that feat Wednesday and took a 13-4 season-ending loss in an elimination game against the Warriors at David Allen Memorial Ballpark. The #6-seeded WoldPack fell behind 8-1 in the first two innings before closing the deficit to 8-4 in the fourth. A four-run sixth inning allowed East Central, the #1-ranked team in the final NJCAA Division II Poll, to close the game out in the seventh via run rule. The second loss of the tournament for Madison College ends their season - and 13th appearance at the Division II championship event - with a 39-14 record.

East Central Community College (54-8) used two hits and a walk in the first inning to load the bases against starter Ryan Karst. They followed with a pair of singles sandwiched around a double to produce a 5-0 lead.

The WolfPack had an opportunity to return some of the damage in the top of the second when a single by Charlie Schau, a walk of Marcelino Alonso, and an error on a ground ball from Dayton Rozinski-Hicks filled the bases with two outs. Sophomore Nick Nowak came through with a ground ball single to the right side that scored Schau and put the Pack on the scoreboard. Jalen Gellings then grounded out to short to leave the bases loaded.

The differential grew to eight runs in the bottom of the second with ECCC plating four runs on three hits, two walks, and three wild pitches. Freshman Sam Steuber took over out of the bullpen during the second batter of the inning.

Trailing 9-1 through three innings, Madison got to work in the fourth cutting into the deficit, and evoking thoughts of a repeat comeback effort. Grant Ross drew a leadoff walk and two batters later Alonso single with a line drive to right field. Rozinski-Hicks delivered a line drive to center that scored Ross and moved Alonso to third. A Nowak sacrifice fly to center was enough for Alonso to touch home and make it 9-3. After a walk to Gellings, second year first baseman Payton Frehner ripped another line drive back up the middle to drive in Rozinski-Hicks to make it 9-4. The bases became loaded when Charlie Marion was hit by a pitch; however, Will Johannes' laser to deep center was snared out of the air by the Warriors center fielder to end the big inning and strand three runners for the second time.

After the WolfPack left two runners on in the top of the sixth, East Central's potent lineup went to work against Steuber. The Warriors piled up four hits, including a triple, to make it 12-4. Sophomore Allen Leitner was brought in to try and limit the damage, but was called for a balk during his first at bat to allow the game's final run to score. Leitner did record a strikeout and a pop out to end the inning with the score 13-4. 

In need of runs to avoid the run-rule, Madison College went down in order in the top of the seventh, and the game ended on a strikeout of pinch hitter Evan Iwinski.

Karst (1-1) took the loss after the righthander from Elm Grove, Wisconsin, allowed six runs on five hits and two walks in one inning of work. The transfer from UIC struck out one in his eighth appearance of the season after missing the first half of the season due to injury. Steuber, a native of Muskego, Wisconsin, gave up ten hits, seven runs, and two walks. His four-plus innings on the hill marked his longest outing of the season by far, and the righty struck out a career-high nine batters after previously fanning just one in eight of his previous nine appearances.

Madison College was held to just five hits, while also taking four bases on balls and two hit batters. Frehner, a Waukesha, Wisconsin, native, was tops with two hits and one hit by pitch that added up to one run batted in. He finished the tournament 5 for 10 with six free passes to first, three runs driven in, and one run scored.

Rozinski-Hicks went 1 for 3 with a run scored and one batted in, giving the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, product five hits in 12 at bats in Enid.

Schau and Howie Rickett both finished with a hits and a runs scored. Nowak drove in two runs on a 0 for 2 game with a walk. 

East Central Community College, which has won three consecutive elimination games including two on Wednesday, advances to the semifinal against #2 Brunswick Community College (50-8). The other semifinal features #1 LSU Eunice (54-7) against #5 St. Johns River State College (41-24). Both ECCC and SJRSC need to win twice to move on to the winner-take-all championship.

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