MADISON, WISC. - Top-seeded Madison College will carry plenty of momentum with them into the Region 4 Tournament, which they will host for the sixth consecutive season after rolling through a three-team Region 4 Sectional Tournament on Friday and Saturday at Robin Roberts Field. The WolfPack opened with a 13-2 win in five innings over #8-seed Bryant & Stratton College, and then followed with consecutive victories over #12-seeded Highland Community College by scores of 8-4 and 13-2 in five innings. The last win propelled Mike Davenport to his 800th career victory as the head coach at Madison College, while also giving the Pack their 12th 40-win season during his 21 seasons at the helm.

Game #1 (Friday): (1) Madison College 13, (8) Bryant & Stratton College 2 (5 innings)

Bryant & Stratton College dropped a high-scoring 17-15 contest to Highland Community College in the tournament opener, putting them in danger of elimination with a loss to the WolfPack. With their backs against the wall, the Bobcats came out swinging, literally, and took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. With two outs, BSC produced two doubles and a single against freshman starter Noah Marschke to the two-run advantage. 

It didn't last long, however, as the Pack immediately took a 3-2 lead with one mighty swing from freshman Tyler Butina. After singles by Jalen Gellings and Howie Rickett opened the inning, the transfer from Central Michigan University crushed his fifth home run of the season.

In the second inning, three consecutive bunt singles loaded the bases for the WolfPack, and a hit by pitch of Howie Rickett forced in Chris Calico for a 4-2 edge. Another hit by pitch of Butina two batters later brought Beau Bloxdorf home, and Charlie Schau completed a four-run inning with a two-RBI single to center to plate Gellings and Rickett.

The lead grew to 9-2 in the third as a wild pitch allowed Bloxdorf to touch home before Rickett single-handedly engineered another run. The second year catcher drew a walk, however, the fourth ball came on a wild pitch and Rickett hustled all the way to second. Five pitches later, Rickett took off on a steal attempt of third, and the throw from the catcher sailed high and into right field, giving Rickett time to score.

Four more runs on four hits and a walk in the fourth put the Pack up 13-2. Bloxdorf drove in Schau with a single to the left side, and Ryan Santi scored when Gellings grounded out to third. Then Rickett drove a single down the right field line to bring home Calico and Bloxdorf to put the home team in position for the run-ruled victory, which they got by holding Bryant & Stratton College (19-33) scoreless in the top of the fifth.

Schau, a native of Park Ridge, Illinois, led the hit parade with three of the team's 13 base knocks. His season-high three hits yielded two runs batted in and a run scored.

Four other had two hits in the game, including Rickett. The Waunakee, Wisconsin, product, was 2 for 2 with a walk, three runs, and three RBI, the last of which set a new season-best. Bloxdorf also scored three runs and drove in another on his two hits and a walk, while Gellings scored twice and picked up a RBI, and Calico crossed home twice with this two hits.

Butina was tops with four runs batted in for his third game this season with four or more RBI. His one hit also resulted in a run scored.

On the hill, Marschke (6-1) limited the Bobcats to two earned runs on five hits, four walks, and one hit batter. He struck out six in his 4.1 innings before fellow first year Mason Sherman came in to secure the final two outs, picking up one K in the process.

Madison College is 13-4 all-time against BSC, with Friday's win marking the first meeting in postseason play.



Game #2 (Friday): (1) Madison College 8, (12) Highland Community College 4

The result of Friday's final game would give either the WolfPack or the Cougars an upper-hand for Saturday, and Highland Community College made an early statement. A double and three singles in the top of the second gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead against starter Quinn Falish. Madison College did answer with a run in the home half of the second. Tyler Butina led off with a double, and scored three batters later on a Ryan Santi ground out to the second baseman.

In the third, sophomore Charlie Schau stepped to the plate with two runners on and two outs, and delivered a clutch line drive single to center that scored Jalen Gellings and Marcelino Edison Alonso to give the home team a 3-2 advantage.

The Cougars came right back in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of an error with a two-run homer to go ahead 4-3. The WolfPack pulled even at 4-4 in the bottom half when sophomore Chris Calico stole home after Beau Bloxdorf was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike.

It remained tied until the bottom of the sixth, when Madison College posted four runs during a two-out rally. Following a pair of ground outs started the frame, two walks and an error loaded the bases for Gellings, and last year's Region 4 Tournament MVP doubled to center to drive in Santi and Calico. Howie Rickett followed with another ground ball up the middle to score Beau Bloxdorf and Gellings.

First year relief pitcher Carter Lund (1-0) worked 1-2-3 innings in the seventh and eighth as part of 4.2 innings of work. He did not allow a single run or hit, while walking three and striking out four. Two of those walks came in the ninth, resulting in coach Mike Davenport turning to sophomore Carson Klaus (2) to close out the victory with the final two outs. Falish was tagged for four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits. He struck out three over 3.2 innings.

Rickett finished with two hits and two runs batted in. Gellings, a former Campbellsport HS athlete, was 1 for 3 with a walk, two runs, and two RBI. Schau had a hit, a walk, and two runs driven in, and Calico racked up a hit, a walk, and two runs scored. Santi went 0 for 2 with a walk, a run score, and one RBI.

Game #3 (Saturday): (1) Madison College 13, (12) Highland Community College 2 (5 innings)

In need of just one win in Saturday's rematch with Highland Community College to win the sectional, Madison College used the long ball to earn a commanding run-ruled victory. Sophomore Marcelino Edison Alonso got it going with a two-run homer in the first inning to give the home team a 2-0 edge. The home run tied Alonso for the team-lead with eight on the season. 

The game didn't entirely belong to the WolfPack, as Highland's first baseman Felixander Severino kept them in the game early. He led off the second inning with a solo hom run, and then tied the game at 2-2 in the third with a two-out single to center that drove in a run.

Madison College took over the game in the fourth with six runs in the bottom half. Freshman Nate Novinska singled in Tyler Butina and Charlie Schau to regain the lead, and then a ground ball by Chris Calico brought Novinska in to score. Two batters later, sophomore rightfielder Trace Kirchberg put his stamp on the game with a three-run home run to left for an 8-2 advantage.

The bottom of the fifth opened with a Butina bomb to left as the solo shot made it 9-2 and gave the Jefferson, Wisconsin, native six homers on the season. Later in the inning and with one out, designated hitter Sam Moses lined a single to right with runners in scoring position to drive in both for a nine-run lead. Then Kirchberg flexed his muscle again with a two-run blast to right to walk off the run-ruled decision in five innings. 



Kirchberg, a native of Columbus, Wisconsin, finished 2 for 3 with a career-high five runs batted in, to go along with two runs scored. The two-homer game is the second of his career. Schau was the only other player with multiple hits, going 2 for 3 with two runs scored. 

Moses finished with a hit, a walk, two runs scored, and two batted in. Alonso registered a hit, two RBI, and a run, while Butina added a hit, one run driven in, and two runs scored. Novinska also had two runs on a hit and a walk. 

Freshman Axel Donaldson (6-0) remained undefeated on the season with five innings of work. The De Pere, Wisconsin, native, allowed two runs on seven hits and two free passes. Donaldson fanned seven batters for his second-highest strikeout total of the season.

Madison College is now 49-7 all-time against HCC, including a 9-2 mark in postseason meetings.



Up Next: 

Madison College (40-9) will enjoy home-field advantage at Robin Roberts Field for the 2025 NJCAA Region 4 Tournament, which runs Thursday-Saturday, May 15-17. The top-seeded WolfPack will open with a 9:00 a.m. game against #4-seeded Black Hawk College (46-12). The other quarterfinal will pit #3-seeded Elgin Community College (40-12) against #2-seeded Kankakee Community College (44-8) at noon. All four teams are also currently ranked in the NJCAA Division II Poll. All games will stream live at MadisonCollege.TV and tickets are available via GoFan. The winner will advance to the 2025 NJCAA Division II World Series in Enid, Oklahoma, from May 24-31.



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