MADISON, WISC. - Tuesday's Madison College baseball home opener at
Robin Roberts Field seemed like business as usual with a 16-6 run-ruled victory in the doubleheader opener, giving the WolfPack a four-game win streak after they scored ten or more runs in all four wins. The magic ran out as the #13-ranked team in the NJCAA Division II Poll, up four spots from the week prior, was held to two hits in an 8-1 loss to Bryant & Stratton College, while also committing a season-worst five errors. The split puts the all-time record against the Bobcats at 12-4.
Game #1: #13 Madison College 16, Bryant & Stratton College 6 (6 innings)
The visiting Bobcats scored in the top of the first in both games, which were played in cold and windy conditions. A double and two ground outs gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the day's opener. The WolfPack, however, had a quick answer with a three-run home half. With runners in scoring position, freshman
Tyler Butina roped a line drive to right field, driving in
Jalen Gellings and
James Duncan. Three batters later, and following a first inning pitching change by Bryant & Stratton College, freshman
Nate Novinska bloop double to left was enough for Butina to score for a 3-1 advantage.
After BSC took advantage of a Madison College error and a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2, the home team exploded for six more runs in the second and again forced the Bobcats to go deeper into the bullpen. A bases loaded walk of Butina forced in the inning's first run, and a
Chris Calico single scored the next. After the pitching change,
Ryan Santi picked up a RBI with a sacrifice fly to left before Novinska cleared the remaining runners with a two-run triple to right. The final tally came as a result of
Beau Bloxdorf's single to left to score Novinska for a 9-2 differential.
In the fourth, the Bobcats narrowed the gap to four runs with a three-run, three-run frame. Madison College got one of those runs right back in the bottom half thanks to a Duncan single to shallow left that plated Bloxdorf from second. Another BSC run in the top of the fifth put the score at 10-6 before the Pack closed it out with six unanswered. Novinska added to his RBI total, using a ground ball to second to score Butina; however, an error by the second baseman also allowed Calico to score for a 12-6 lead.
The bottom of the sixth,
Marcelino Edison Alonso single to right, scoring Gellings after the second year shortstop opened the inning by reaching on an error. A bases loaded ground ball two batters later by Calico brought in Duncan, while another error at second allowed Alonso to touch home. The game ended when Santi singled to left to drive in Butina for a ten-run victory.
Madison College scored double-digits runs for the fifth time in the last six outings, and also produced ten or more hits for the third time in the last four games. Novinska, coming off a two-home run effort at Elgin Community College, went 2 for 4 with five runs batted in and a run scored. Over his last four games, the former Verona Area HS athlete, is 8 for 14 at the plate with five extra base hits, 12 runs batted in, and seven runs scored.
Duncan also came through with a pair of hits, scored three times, and drove in a run. Butina, a native of Jefferson, Wisconsin, was 1 for 2 with three walks, which generated a career-best four runs scored and match another career high with three RBI.
Calico, a West Salem, Wisconsin, native, had three runs batted in and two runs scored on a hit and a walk. Alonso and Bloxdorf each finished with one hit, one RBI, and two runs scored. And Santi drove in two with a hit and a walk.
On the mound, sophomore
Ben Kasten (1-1) earned his first win since May 6, 2023, after missing last season due to injury. His fifth career victory featured four earned runs on five total runs, six hits, and three walks. He struck out six batters over four innings before fellow second year
Nick West made his fourth appearance of the year for two innings, giving up one earned run on three hits in two innings.
Game #2: Bryant & Stratton College 8, #13 Madison College 1
In the finale, Bryant & Stratton College (5-15) took a 2-0 lead against starter
Carson Klaus, using three hits and a walk to do so. Still a two run game in the third, two errors in the infield put runners on for the Bobcats No. 5 hitter, who smashed a three-run homer to left. The No. 8 hitter then led off the fourth inning with a solo shot to left for a 6-0 advantage. With two outs in the fifth, the Bobcats were gifted two more runs on two errors and a wild pitch.
Madison College had not had a hit since
Jalen Gellings led off the game with a hard ground ball through the right side and was eventually erased on a double play. They manufactured a run in the sixth with a walk of
Jack Bauer, followed by a wild pitch, a sacrifice, and a
James Duncan ground out. The WolfPack's final hit came in the form of a two-out single by
Ryan Santi in the bottom of the seventh before
Beau Bloxdorf lined out to end the game.
Klaus (0-1) was tagged for eight runs, only four of which were earned, on eight hits and a walk. He struck out four batters in his four-plus innings. Freshman
Carter Lund tossed the final 2.1 innings of scoreless ball with two hits, a walks, and a K.
Up Next:
Madison College (10-6) is back on the road Thursday, April 3 for a Region 4 twin bill against Morton College (6-14). The WolfPack boasts a 23-6 all-time record against the Panthers. First pitch in Cicero, Illinois, is set for 2:00 p.m., followed by an approximate 5:00 p.m. start in the nightcap. The games can be watched and followed live via the GameChanger app.
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