Madison College Wolfpack

PALATINE, ILL. - With the Region 4 postseason on the horizon, the Madison College baseball team picked up a pair of key victories on Friday with a doubleheader sweep of Harper College. The #6-ranked WolfPack defeated the Hawks by scores of 6-4 and 6-3. The wins give the Pack a 31-5 lead in the all-time series with 13 consecutive head-to-head wins.

Game #1: #6 Madison College 6, Harper College 4

The WolfPack got on the board first in game one. Sophomore Quinn Falish drew a leadoff walk in the second inning, and promptly stole second before advancing to third base on a groundout. A sacrifice fly from first year designated hitter Casey Wambach sent Falish across home plate for a 1-0 advantage. Harper College answered with a run-scoring single in the bottom half to even the score.

Still tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Madison College jumped out to a 5-1 lead with one swing of the bat. Three consecutive singles by freshmen Eason Hurd, Jonah Roloff, and Braylon White loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout of JJ Wolbert, shortstop Beau Bloxdorf stepped into the batter's box having never hit a collegiate home run. The Franksville, Wisconsin, native, changed that as he sent the second pitch of the at bat over the left field fence for a grand slam.

The Hawks got one run back in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, RBI-double; however, the WolfPack was ready in the sixth to regain the four-run lead. Hurd collected his second hit of the game, ripping a one-out double before White notched his second hit - and first - run batted in on a single to center field to make it 6-2.

Despite the deficit, the Hawks continued to battle in the seventh, generating two more runs to climb within 6-4. Wambach, now in as a closer, eventually loaded the bases with two outs to put the tying run in scoring position and the game-winning run on first before inducing a game-ending groundout. 

Sophomore Noah Marschke (4-0) took the mound for the WolfPack in game one and pitched 6.1 innings. The lefthander from Stevens Point, Wisconsin, allowed five hits, four walks, four runs, and struck out four batters. Wambach picked up his fourth career save.

Bloxdorf led the team with a career-best four runs batted in as he was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a walk. Hurd posted two hits and scored twice, while White's two hits led to a run scored and a RBI. Falish and Roloff each had a hit, one walk, and one run scored.

Game #2: #6 Madison College 6, Harper College 3

The day's second game started much the same with neither team scoring in the first inning and both producing runs in the second. Quinn Falish once more was the first baserunner for Madison, doing so this time on a single to center field. He was eventually joined on the bases by Sam Moses and Easton Engel after a hit by pitch and walk, respectively. Freshman catcher Jonah Roloff was also hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in Falish and put the Pack up 1-0.

Harper College (26-20) had yet another answer in the home half, scoring two runs on a hit and a walk against second year starter Broden Jackson to take a 2-1 lead.

Beau Bloxdorf came through again for Madison College (36-10), doubling to right field to score JJ Wolbert from second to tie the game in the third inning.

The Hawks regained the lead following a single and an error in the fourth, and it remained 3-2 until the top of the sixth. Roloff doubled to left field, clearing Bloxdorf and Casey Wambach off the bases and giving the lead back to Madison College. Braylen White followed with an RBI-single, and the WolfPack was up 5-3. Two Walks and a pair of hit by pitches saw the bases loaded again in the top of the seventh, with Wambach's base on balls forcing in Nate Novinska for the game's final run.

Jackson (6-1) went the distance for Madison College, tossing all seven innings and limiting the Hawks to three runs, two of which were earned, on four hits and two walks. The former Milton HS athlete also struck out six batters.

Roloff, a native of Delafield, Wisconsin, was one of six players with a hit in the game, and led the team with his second three-RBI game of the season. He also scored a run. Wambach and Bloxdorf each had a hit, scored a run, and drove in another, while also combining to draw three walks. 

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