EAST PEORIA, ILL. - The win was blowing and the baseballs were flying out of the field Sunday as Madison College dominated Illinois Central College in a doubleheader sweep that a total of ten home runs over ten innings of play. The WolfPack accounted for nine of the homers, including six in a 19-3 rout in game one and three more during a 14-2 dismantling of the Cougars in the finale. The Pack is currently on an eight-game win streak as they improve to 3-0 all-time against ICC, whom they have not played since 2009. 

Game #1: #8 Madison College 19, Illinois Central College 3 (5 innings)

The dingers started early and often in the first game, with freshman Ian Salvesen hitting a two-run shot two batters before Sam Moses with yard with a solo blast in the first inning. In the second, Eason Hurd drove in Beau Bloxdorf with a sacrifice fly before Salvesen again found the power with a two-run homer to center to make it a six-run lead. Back-to-back doubles from Nate Novinska and Moses pushed the advantage to 7-0.

Illinois Central College got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second with a run on two hits against sophomore starter Noah Musolf, but the Pack answered with one crack of the bat in the top of the third. Hurd walloped a three-run blast to center to make it 10-0. The Cougars first - and only - home run of the day came in the third with a leadoff homer to center.

In the fourth, Quinn Falish added his name to the list of home run hitters with a solo shot to left, which was followed by a triple from freshman Jonah Roloff and a run-scoring double by Bloxdorf. Freshman Matt Gruber singled up the middle to plate Bloxdorf and make it a 13-2 game.

The final six runs were scored in the top of the fifth, which started with a triple by Novinska. He scored on an error on the next play. A sacrifice fly from Roloff allowed Moses to cross home before Gruber delivered another run-scoring single to right. To cap the highest-scoring game of the season, Hurd crushed a three-run homer to deep left for a 19-3 differential.

Hurd and Salvesen each had two hits and sent both of them beyond the fences, with Hurd tying a program record with seven runs batted in as the Green Bay, Wisconsin, native, becomes the sixth player in WolfPack history to accomplish the feat. Salvesen finished with his second four-RBI game of the season. 

Gruber, a native of Franksville, Wisconsin, was tops with three hits, which yielded two runs and two runs driven in. Bloxdorf scored a career-best four runs.

On the hill, Musolf (2-1) struck out six batters and allowed just one earned run on four hits and a walk in his four innings. Freshman Aaron Ploszay pitched one inning, striking out two and allowing one hit.

Game #2: #8 Madison College 14, Illinois Central College 2 (5 innings)

Game two started with more fireworks as leadoff hitter Braylen White smacked his first collegiate home run with a solo bomb to left. Fellow freshman Casey Wambach made it 3-0 with a two-run double that scored Ian Salvesen and Sam Moses.

The score reached 7-0 in the second after right fielder Chase Maika scored on an Easton Engel double to left, Salvesen drove in a run with a ground out that plated Engel, and Hurd hit his third home run of the day with a two-run homer.

In the third, Salvesen singled in Maika, Moses doubled to score Salvesen and Hurd, and Nuetzel added his name to the home run hitters club with yet another two-run shot to center. The first career homer for the native of Mequon, Wisconsin, put the WolfPack ahead 12-0.

A Salvesen sac fly in the fourth added another run before Illinois Central College scored twice in the home half. Etzel and Nuetzel completed the scoring with a double and single, respectively, in the fifth for the 12-run cushion.

A trio of arms kept the Cougars bats at bay throughout the finale. Sophomore Adison Tevz (2-2) opened with three innings of scoreless, hitless baseball that featured season-high six strikeouts for the New Berlin, Wisconsin, native. Charlie Slawinski and Mason Sherman each tossed one inning in relief. Slawinski was tagged for two earned runs, three hits, and two walks, while also striking out a pair. Sherman had two K's and allowed one hit.

Nuetzel was tops with a career-high three hits, three runs batted in, and one run scored. White, Wambach, and Engel each had two hits in the game, with White touching home twice and driving in a run. Wambach had two RBI and Engel had a run batted in and a run scored. Salvesen, a former Wittenberg-Birnamwood HS athlete, matched Nuetzel for the team lead with three runs batted in and scored two more. Maika was tops with three runs scored.

Up Next:

Madison College (22-6) is back home at Robin Roberts Field on Tuesday, April 14 to host Triton College (13-13-1) for a Region 4 doubleheader. The WolfPack is 33-21 all-time against the Trojans and riding an eight-game win streak in head-to-head matchups. First pitch is at 2:00 p.m. and will be streamed live at MadisonCollege.tv.

Follow WolfPack baseball: Facebook | Twitter | GameChanger