ROCKFORD, ILL. - Two days after Rock Valley College used a five-run inning to claim a road win in the opener of a Region 4 home-and-home series, Madison College returned the favor with a five-run frame of their own en route to a 6-1 road victory over the Golden Eagles on Thursday. Freshman pitcher Noah Marschke, who last time out took a no-hitter into the seventh inning at Kankakee Community College, continued to shine with a career-high 14 strikeouts, becoming the sixth player in program history to reach that mark in a single game. The series split moves the all-time count between the two programs to 43-23 in favor of the WolfPack.

Marschke, a lefthander from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, was dealing early, striking out the side in the first inning, and added two more K's in the second. Meanwhile, Madison College's first attempt to put a run on the board was thwarted in the second inning when Tyler Butina was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice bunt, the WolfPack did take a 1-0 lead in the third. Sophomore Jalen Gellings singled and then went first to third on a two-out base hit by Marcelino Edison Alonso to keep the inning alive for Butina. The transfer from Central Michigan University grounded a single deep in the hole at short to plate Gellings.

Rock Valley College (23-7) answered with a run in the home half of the third, using a leadoff walk, an error on a bunt, and a single to tie the game at 1-1 before Marschke fanned two more batters.

That's when the Pack exploded for a handful of runs in the top of the fourth to seize control of the game. A hit by pitch and a catcher's interference call put two runners aboard with two outs for Gellings, who had already extended his current hitting streak to nine games. The former Campbellsport HS athlete ripped a two-bagger to left to drive in Howie Rickett and Chris Calico for a 3-1 advantage. Gellings then scored on a James Duncan single, and then Duncan raced around to touch home as Alonso singled up the middle to make it 5-1. The final tally of the inning came after a wild pitch advanced Alonso to second ahead of Butina's sixth double of the season, scoring Alonso for a 6-1 differential just four innings in.



From that point on, it was all about Marshke, who struck out two batters in the fourth, three more in the sixth, and one in the seventh to complete his day's work. Sam Steuber took over in the eighth and saw the minimum six batters over the final two innings. Marschke (2-0) earned his second consecutive win and was tagged for one unearned run on four hits and a walk. The 14 K's are the most in a single outing since Jett Thielke did the same in 2022, and are four shy of the program record. He now boasts 22 strikeouts over his last 13-plus innings.

Butina, a native of Jefferson, Wisconsin, came through with his second three-hit game of the season, going 3 for 4 with a walk and two runs batted in. 

Gellings finished the game 2 for 4, scored two runs, and drove in two more. He two hits in each of the last four games, and is batting at a .500 clip over the current hitting streak.

Alonso also tallied a two base knocks, a run, and a RBI. Those numbers increase the Reedsburg, Wisconsin, native's team-leading hit total to 36, batting average to .439, runs scored to 30, and runs batted in to 24.



Up Next:

Madison College (17-7) returns to Robin Roberts Field for a Region 4 twin bill on Friday, April 11 against Carl Sandburg College (9-16). The WolfPack is 24-5 all-time against the Chargers, and have won 12 of the last 13 meetings. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m., with the finale slated for 4:00 p.m. The games will stream live at MadisonCollege.tv and can also be followed via the GameChanger app.

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