FREEPORT, ILL. - The Region 4 portion of the 2026 schedule started with a doubleheader sweep Wednesday as Madison College went to Highland Community College and earned two wins. The #8-ranked WolfPack secured a 7-2 victory in the first game, and followed it up with a 12-2 run-ruled win in five innings in the nightcap. Sophomore
Ian Salvesen totaled four hits and four runs batted in over the two games, while
Broden Jackson continued his stellar start to the season with seven strikeouts. The successful day improved Madison's lead in the all-time series to 51-7.
Game #1: #8 Madison College 7, Highland Community College 2
The host Cougars scored the first run of the day, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning of the opener. A triple and a sacrifice fly against Jackson put Madison College in an early hole. Two innings later, the WolfPack pulled even at 1-1.
Beau Bloxdorf drew a leadoff walk, and after advancing on a
Braylen White sacrifice, scored when second year second baseman
JJ Wolbert single with a line drive up the middle.
A trio of walks in the top of the fourth loaded the bases with two outs, and White forced in a run with a hit by pitch to go up 2-1. First baseman
Ian Salvesen singled in the fifth to drive in
Quinn Falish to make it a two-run advantage. In the sixth, freshman designated hitter
Casey Wambach led off with a single and was able to score when Wolbert flew out to center for a sac fly.
Madison College doubled their lead in the seventh with a three-run frame. Salvesen tripled to deep right field following a lead off walk of
Quinn Falish to score the first run, and then trotted home on a sac fly from third baseman
Eason Hurd. Later in the inning, White stepped to the plate with two one and one out, and the Brown Deer, Wisconsin, native, hit another sacrifice fly to score Wambach for a 7-1 differential.
Jackson, a righthander from Janesville, Wisconsin, went a season-best six innings and struck out seven batters, while holding the Cougars to a run on two hits and a walk. The final inning was split between
Noah Marschke and Wambach, with the former giving up a run on a hit and a hit batter.
Salvesen, a native of Hatley, Wisconsin, was 2 for 3 with two runs batted in and a run scored. Wambach, a freshman from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, also had two hits and scored a team-best two runs.
White and Wolbert matched Salvesen with two RBI, while Falish tied Wambach by scoring two runs.
Game #2: #8 Madison College 12, Highland Community College 2 (5 innings)
Game two got off to a big start for Madison College as they scored seven runs in the first inning. Sophomore
Sam Moses made a loud statement with a two-run home run that is the second long ball this season for the native of Cedarburg, Wisconsin. The inning also saw
Ian Salvesen double in
Nate Novinska. A trio of consecutive walks resulted in two more runs as
Paul Nuetzel and Chase Maike picked up RBI's ahead of a two-run single from
JJ Wolbert to break open the game.
Highland Community College (11-11) did answer with two runs in their half of the first inning against starter
Chase Baker, who walked three batters and allowed a single in the inning.
The score remained 7-2 until the fifth inning. With the bases load, second year centerfielder
Quinn Falish was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Catcher
Nate Novinska doubled two batters later to score Maika and Wolbert before a Salvesen single and Bloxdorf sacrifice fly both produced runs to cap the scoring and earn the run-ruled decision.
Wolbert, a native of Wales, Wisconsin, was 2 for 3 with a walk, two runs scored, and two runs batted in from the top spot in the order. The sophomore had hit safely in 11 of 13 games played this season, and currently has a five-game hitting streak. Salvesen also produced two hits to drive in two runs and score another. Novinska, a former Verona Area HS athlete, used his one hit to register a pair of runs scored and two RBI. Additionally, Nuetzel finished with two runs and a run driven in as part of a 1 for 2 day with two walks, while Moses produced two RBI and a run scored with his home run.
On the mound, second year southpaw
Chase Baker (1-0) picked up his first win of the season and sixth of his career. He fanned five batters, to go along with two earned runs on two hits and three walks.
Tavian Shramek took over for the final two, scoreless innings as he surrendered a hit and two walks. The first year arm did strike out three batters.
Up Next:
Madison College (11-5) is schedule to play a nine-inning Region 4 game at Kishwaukee College (3-15) on Friday, March 27. The WolfPack are 40-24-1 against the Kougars all-time. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m. in Malta, Illinois. Stats and live video can be found via the GameChanger app.
They will also play a doubleheader at Joliet Junior College (9-13) on Saturday, March 28, with games starting at noon and 3:00 p.m. The all-time series belongs to the Pack with a 44-21 differential. Stats and live video can be found via the GameChanger app.
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