Chargers Bounce Back to Earn Split at Madison

  Aaron Frey
  Monday, May 7, 2018 10:05 AM
  Athletics

Madison, Wis.

After an abbreviated day of action Saturday, the Carl Sandburg College baseball team split a doubleheader Sunday at Madison (Wis.).

The Chargers’ doubleheader at home Saturday against Lake County ended with the game tied at 2 in the fourth inning of Game 1 when the Lancers’ coach was ejected. Because Lake County did not have another coach in the dugout, the Lancers had to forfeit the game to the Chargers. Game 2 was canceled because Lake County’s coach had to serve an automatic one-game suspension because of his ejection.

Sandburg hit the road Sunday and dropped the opening game at Madison 10-2 before picking up a 6-4 victory in Game 2.

GAME 1
Madison 10, Sandburg 2
Sandburg              002         000         0              —            2              2              4
Madison                020         305         x              —            10           11           0
L: Smith 5 IP, 3 K, 1 BB

Key Moment
Tied at 2 in the fourth, the Wolfpack grabbed the lead with a three-run frame. A leadoff single, sacrifice bunt and base hit to center brought home the go-ahead run, and Madison tacked on two more runs with two out on an RBI single and RBI double.

Sandburg Star of the Game
Center fielder Payton Hartbank (Mattoon, Ill./Mattoon) had two of the Chargers’ four hits, going 2 for 4 with a double and an RBI.

GAME 2
Sandburg 6, Madison 4
Sandburg              103         001         1              —            6              10           3
Madison                011         000         2              —            4              7              3
W: Bryce Meyer 4 IP, 2 K, 3 BB

Key Moments

• Sandburg took the lead for good by scoring three in the third to go ahead 4-1. Cacey O’Brien (Moline, Ill./Moline) opened the inning with a homer to center field. Shane Coleman (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) scored a two-out run when the Madison pitcher threw away a pickoff attempt, and Austin Traub (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline) added another run with a single to right that scored Blake Russell (Joy, Ill./Mercer County).
• Jack Gray (Burlington, Iowa/Notre Dame) allowed a pair of runs after coming on to start the seventh, but he got a strikeout with the bases loaded to end the game.

Sandburg Star of the Game
Nolan Struhs (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) didn’t factor in the decision, but he worked two scoreless innings after starter Bryce Meyer (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone) went the first four. Struhs worked around a walk and a hit in the fifth, then struck out the side in order in the sixth. The lefty has a 3.05 ERA in 43.2 innings this spring.

Top Chargers Hitters

• Traub 3 for 4, RBI
• O’Brien 2 for 4, walk, home run, two RBIs
• Kevin Ulrich (Roanoke, Ill./Roanoke-Benson) 2 for 4, double, walk, RBI
• Coleman 2 for 4, double, run, RBI
• Hartbank, three walks, two steals, two runs

Up Next
Sandburg wraps up the regular season with a nine-inning game at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Southeastern (Iowa).