KANKAKEE, ILL. - An early-April showdown between two Top-15 teams in the NJCAA Divsion II Poll went the way of Madison College on Saturday with road wins of 5-1 and 5-4 over Region 4 rival Kankakee Community College. The #13-ranked WolfPack secured the upper-hand in the early race for postseason seeding, thanks in part to freshman pitcher Noah Marschke, who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of game two against the #7-ranked Cavaliers. Madison College is now 31-20 all-time against KCC, with wins in 13 of the last 16 meetings between the two teams who met in last year's region championship. 

Game #1: #13 Madison College 5, #7 Kankakee Community College 1

A scoreless game became a 1-0 Madison College lead in the top of the third as the visiting team took advantage of a leadoff walk. With Beau Bloxdorf aboard, the freshman was able to advance with a sac bunt from Jalen Gellings and a ground out by James Duncan. Sophomore Marcelino Edison Alonso came through with a two-out single with a line drive to right to score Bloxdorf.

Two innings later, the Pack added some insurance runs with two runs on three hits and a hit by pitch. Gellings and Alonso each reached safely with base hits, and a hit by pitch of Tyler Butina loaded the bases for sophomore Chris Calico. The West Salem, Wisconsin, native, lofted a sacrifice fly to right deep enough to score Gellings. Fellow second year Ryan Santi then ripped a double to right to score Alonso for a 3-0 lead.

The Cavaliers put a run on the board in the home half of the sixth, one inning after their registered their first hit of the game against freshman starter Quinn Falish. Falish opened the inning with a walk, and after recording two outs, allowed a run to score on a single to left. 

The Madison College bats had Falish's back, pushing the differential to 5-1 in the next half inning. Duncan and Alonso were aboard after a single and double, respectively, and Butina grounded a two-run single through the left side.

Falish, a native of De Pere, Wisconsin, improved to 3-0 on the season with five scoreless innings. He allowed one hit and struck out two batters before sophomore Sam Steuber took over for the final two innings and was tagged for one run on a hit and a walk with one K.

Alonso extended his team-lead in hits on the season with his fifth game of three or more base knocks. The Reedsburg, Wisconsin, native, finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored and one batted in. Butina was tops with two RBI as he had a hit and a walk. Gellings and Duncan both had one hit and a run scored, while Santi drove in a run with his lone hit.

Game #2: #13 Madison College 5, #7 Kankakee Community College 4

The day's finale was all about freshman Noah Marschke and his pursuit of the program's eighth no-hitter and first since 2016. Marschke, a native of Stevens Point, Wisconsin, allowed walks in the first and fourth innings, but was without a hit given up through six innings. Holding a five-run lead and just three outs away from history, the lefthander saw a runner reach via catcher's interference before watching the no-no disappear with one mighty swing of the bat as the Cavaliers hit a two-run homer. After his third issued walk of the day, Marschke was relieved by Broden Jackson, who loaded the bases ahead of a two-run single to center to make it a 5-4 game. Kankakee Community College (24-5) had the tying run on third as part of a bases loaded and two outs situation before inducing a game-ending ground ball to shortstop Jalen Gellings. 

Marschke secured his first collegiate pitching win in his fourth appearance, going 6.1 innings and striking out a career-best eight batters. He allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on a hit and three walks. Jackson, a native of Janesville, Wisconsin, picked up the first save of the season for the WolfPack - and first of his career - in his two-thirds of an inning with two hits, one run, one walk, and one K. 

Madison College (14-6) earned their 5-0 lead with a run in the second and third innings, two more in the fifth, and what proved to be the game-winning run in the seventh. Beau Bloxdorf's ground ball single in the second brought in Tyler Butina, who led off with a single through the right side. An inning later, it was Marcelino Edison Alonso following up back-to-back singles by Gellings and James Duncan with a productive ground out to second that scord Gellings.

In the fourth, Duncan opened with a double and Alonso followed with a two-bagger of his own to drive in a run. After a wild pitch moved Alonso to third, Butina hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 4-0.

The game's biggest run was the result of a two-out rally in the final inning. Butina drew a walk and pinch runner Brady Henry stole second, and after a walk of Ryan Santi, Bloxdorf came through with a key single to center to score Henry.

Bloxdorf, a graduate of Union Grove HS, had two hits and two runs batted in, while Duncan also had two hits and scored one run. Alonso, who has hit safely in 16 of his first 20 games this season, produced one hit, two RBI, and a run scored. Butina added a hit, one run, and a run driven in.



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