Madison College Wolfpack

ENID, OKLA. - Madison College looked every bit like a top-four seed in Sunday's NJCAA Division II World Series second round matchup with Jones College at David Allen Ballpark. The #3-seeded WolfPack earned an 8-4 victory over the #6-seeded Bobcats to advance to the quarterfinal round and marking the program's third consecutive year to open the tournament with a win. Sophomore Noah Marschke limited Jones to just two runs as he worked into the eighth inning, freshman Braylen Allen proved to be a tough out with four hits, and catcher Nate Novinska drove in four runs to propel the Pack in their eighth straight appearance at the championships.

"For Noah to get us to the eighth inning was really big...and then scoring the three runs in the [eighth] was huge. It gave us a huge buffer," said head coach Mike Davenport. "

Both teams scored a run in the game's first inning, with Jones turning a leadoff single into a sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead. White's big game got going with a single to start the bottom half, and after advancing a base on an error by the Bobcats second baseman, he raced in to score on Novinska's RBI single that tied the game.

Madison College took the lead for good in the bottom of the third, which again started with a leadoff hit by White as he doubled to right. A single by Jonah Roloff and a walk of Novinska loaded the bases for Ian Salvesen, who was back in the lineup for the first time since April 29. The first year third baseman lined a single to right to plate White. Second year first baseman Sam Moses followed with a base knock up the middle to bring in Roloff and Novinska for a 4-1 differential.

In the fourth, the WolfPack made it a four-run lead as a ground out by Roloff was enough to score JJ Wolbert after the second baseman singled and moved to third on a a two-bagger by White.

Marschke had allowed just one run through seven innings as he returned to the mound in the eighth, but gave up a solo home run to start the inning.

Madison College added some key insurance runs in the eighth. With the bases loaded thanks to a pair of walks sandwiched around another White base hit, Novinska hit a hard chopper down the third base line that stayed fair and bounced over the third baseman's head to clear the bases for a three-run hit and an 8-2 edge.

Jones College (41-17) made the Pack earn the win in the ninth, however. With a runner aboard, the Bobcats got a two-run homer down the right field line to narrow the gap to 8-4. Lefthander Chase Baker entered the game for Madison College and gave up three consecutive singles to load the bases with one out. With the tying run at the plate, he recorded a strikeout and induced a game-ending ground out to Wolbert at second.

Marschke (7-0), a southpaw from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, struck out four and limited the Bobcats to two runs on four hits and four walks in his 7.1 innings. Axel Donaldson walked two batters in relief before freshman Tavian Shramek took over for an inning and allowed two runs on two hits and fanned one. Baker was credited with three hits and one K in two-thirds scoreless innings.

"Just being in the zone early and often, let my defense make plays, which they did and bailed me out a lot in some situations where I didn't put myself in a great situation, they bailed me out for sure," stated Marschke. "For the other guys to come in, throw strikes, and compete...that was huge for us and just a big team win."

White was an impressive 4 for 5 at the plate as the native of Brown Deer, Wisconsin, scored a team-leading three times. He also came up with some key plays in right field as he recorded a double play to end the fifth inning and tracked down a fly ball in the left center gap for the first out of the ninth before. 

"He had four hits and I think a really good at bat that resulted in a ground out, he makes a really good double up throw on the money when they had some momentum going...but then 8-2 they hit a homer and doesn't seem like that big of a deal; but that play he made in the ninth in the gap was huge. Just a great play," boasted Davenport. "

Novinska finished with two hits, a walk, one run scored, and a team-high four runs batted in as the former Verona Area HS athlete came through with some clutch hitting.

Roloff added a hit, two walks, two runs scored, and a RBI. Wolbert scored twice on a hit and a walk, while Moses drove in a pair of runs with one hit and a walk.

Up Next:

Madison College (46-10) will play in a quarterfinal game on Tuesday, May 26 against #2-seeded Pearl River Community College (47-11), who got by #10-seed Monroe Community College 7-1 on Saturday. The WolfPack and Wildcats last met in the 2022 NJCAA Division II World Series Championship Series, which PRCC won two-games-to-one in Madison College's best-ever finish in Oklahoma. First pitch at David Allen Memorial Ballpark is set for 4:00 p.m. 

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