Smith Fans 10, but Chargers Drop Game 1 of Region IV Sectional
Aaron Frey
Saturday, May 12, 2018 7:41 PM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
The Carl Sandburg College baseball team came up on the short end of a pitchers’ duel Saturday afternoon against Black Hawk, falling 3-2 in Game 1 of its best-of-three Region IV tournament sectional series at the William “Bill” Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex.
Saturday’s scheduled doubleheader was cut back to one game as rain pushed a noon start time to approximately 3:15 p.m. The series continues with Game 2 at noon Sunday at Sandburg. Game 3, if necessary, will take place about 30 minutes after Game 2. The winner advances to next weekend’s Region IV tournament finals.
GAME 1 (Best-of-3)
Black Hawk 3, Sandburg 2
Black Hawk 010 100 010 — 3 9 0
Sandburg 100 000 001 — 2 6 1
W: Devin Wessels 9 IP, 17 K, 2 BB
L: Mitch Smith (3-3) 9 IP, 10 K, 0 BB
Key Moments
- The fourth-seeded Chargers struck first as Braedon Blackford (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame) led off the first inning with an opposite-field double and scored on a two-out single to center by catcher Kevin Ulrich (Roanoke, Ill./Roanoke-Benson).
- The No. 5 seed Braves tied it with an unearned run in the second and grabbed the lead on Ryan Lorber’s sacrifice fly to left in the fourth.
- Black Hawk added a key insurance run in the eighth as Stephen Pim pushed a two-out single to right to score Chris Liggett.
- Sandburg put together a two-out threat in the ninth as Shane Coleman (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) doubled and scored on a single up the middle by Austin Traub (Coal Valley, Ill./Moline) to make it 3-2. Blake Russell (Joy, Ill./Mercer County) walked to put the winning run on base, but Devin Wessels struck out pinch hitter Antonio Dominguez (Rock Island, Ill./United Township) to finish off a 17-strikeout complete game.
Sandburg Star of the Game
Chargers starter Mitch Smith (Moline, Ill./Sherrard) took the tough-luck loss despite going the distance. The right-hander allowed two earned runs on nine hits, struck out 10 and didn’t issue a walk.
Top Chargers Hitters
- Coleman 2 for 4, double, run
- Traub 2 for 3, walk, RBI
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