Chargers’ Split With BHC Sets Up Arrowhead Title Showdown
Aaron Frey
Tuesday, May 2, 2017 8:37 PM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
The Carl Sandburg College and Black Hawk baseball teams finished Tuesday where they started.
The Chargers and Braves split an Arrowhead Conference doubleheader at the William “Bill” Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex, leaving the league champion to be decided Wednesday in Moline as the teams finish off a four-game home-and-home series.
After Sandburg took Game 1 12-7 to pull into a tie atop the conference standings, the visiting Braves responded with an 11-6 victory in the nightcap to regain their one-game advantage. The Chargers (26-17, 12-4) must sweep the Braves (13-3 Arrowhead) to earn their sixth conference title and first since 2008. One BHC victory Wednesday gives the Braves the league crown.
A wild first inning in Game 1 saw the Chargers emerge with a 6-5 lead, and the teams were tied at 7 after the fourth. Sandburg then scored five unanswered runs, plating four in the fifth and another in the sixth.
Angel Figueroa’s (East Chicago, Ind./Bishop Noll) run-scoring single in the fifth proved to be the game-winner, and Marty Mennenga (Rantoul, Ill./Paxton-Buckley-Loda) highlighted the frame with a two-run triple to right.
Nolan Ard (Carthage, Ill./Illini West) finished with four RBIs in Game 1, including a three-run double to right-center that gave the Chargers a 6-5 lead in the first. Figueroa, Mennenga and Blake Russell (Joy, Ill./Mercer County) each drove in two for Sandburg.
Right-hander Matt Trouten (Moline, Ill./Moline) settled in for a complete-game victory after a lengthy five-run first inning. He allowed nine hits and three walks while striking out eight to improve to 5-0 in conference games.
The Braves never trailed in Game 2, jumping to a 6-0 lead after their half of the fourth. Levi Brening (Coon Rapids, Minn./DuQuoin) homered twice and drove in three for the Chargers. Jordan Chandler (Erie, Ill./Erie) and Mitchell Ellison (East Moline, Ill./United) each went 3 for 4 in Game 2 for Sandburg.
First pitch for Wednesday’s doubleheader is set for 2 p.m. Follow Chargers baseball on GameChanger for live scoring updates.