Chargers Finish 4-Game Sweep of BHC, Seize Control of Arrowhead Conference Race
Aaron Frey
Tuesday, April 23, 2019 8:42 PM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
Sophomore Kale Orman (Erie, Ill./Erie) took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of Game 1, and the Carl Sandburg College baseball team rallied late in Game 2 to complete a regular-season sweep of Black Hawk on Tuesday and take a commanding lead in the Arrowhead Conference standings.
Sandburg (21-10-1, 13-1) — which was tied with the Braves (14-12, 9-5) atop the conference prior to the Chargers’ sweep Saturday at Black Hawk — now owns a four-game lead with six games to play in the Arrowhead schedule.
The Chargers can clinch at least a share of their second straight conference championship with a sweep Thursday afternoon at home against Sauk Valley.
GAME 1
Sandburg 2, Black Hawk 1
Black Hawk 000 000 1 — 1 2 3
Sandburg 002 000 x — 2 3 0
W: Orman 2.2 IP, 7 K, 3 BB
L: Adrian Reese 6 IP, 6 K, 1 BB
Key Moments
- The Chargers scratched across both of their runs in the third. A leadoff single, hit batsman and balk led to a sacrifice fly from Braedon Blackford (Peoria, Ill./Notre Dame) to open the scoring. After a walk to Noah Hoepfner (East Moline, Ill./United Township), Jordan Chandler (Erie, Ill./Erie) singled to center, and Isaac Riegler (McLean, Ill./Olympia) scored from second when the ball was bobbled in the outfield.
- Orman didn’t surrender a hit until a single in the seventh put runners on first and second with nobody out. A second straight base hit got Black Hawk on the board, but a comebacker to Orman led to a fielder’s choice at second base that turned into a double play when the Black Hawk baserunner was called for interference. A wild pitch put the tying run on third, but Orman retired the next batter on a slow grounder to short to close out the victory.
Sandburg Standout
Orman flirted with the no-hitter before settling for a sterling two-hit complete game. The righthander struck out seven and walked three while needing just 89 pitches (57 strikes) to go the distance. Orman retired 18 of the first 20 he faced, surrendering only a pair of walks in the opening six innings.
GAME 2
Sandburg 15, Black Hawk 11
Black Hawk 106 220 0 — 11 11 3
Sandburg 034 107 x — 15 17 0
W: Kelly Osburn 2 IP, 4 K, 1 BB
L: Drew Dominik 0.1 IP, 1 K, 0 BB
Key Moments
- The Braves scored twice in the fourth to break a 7-7 tie, then added two more in the fifth for an 11-8 lead.
- It stayed that way until the Chargers erupted for seven two-out runs in the bottom of the sixth. Hoepfner hit a two-run single to left to get the Chargers within a run. After a walk to Jordan Chandler (Erie, Ill./Erie) loaded the bases, Cacey O’Brien (Moline, Ill./Moline) hit a two-run single that sneaked its way through the right side for a 12-11 Sandburg lead. Tyler Womack (Moline, Ill./Moline) followed with a three-run homer to center to give the Chargers some insurance.
Sandburg Standout
Freshman Kelly Osburn (East Moline, Ill./United Township) earned the victory in exchange for a pair of scoreless innings of relief. In a game that featured 28 total hits, Osburn allowed just a walk and was the only one of the six combined pitchers from both sides not to give up a run. He struck out four and retired the last five batters he faced.
Other Top Chargers
- Blackford 3 for 4, walk, home run, three runs, four RBIs
- Riegler 3 for 4, double, two runs, RBI
- Hoepfner 2 for 5, two runs, four RBIs
- Chandler 2 for 4, walk, run, RBI
- O’Brien 2 for 4, walk, run, two RBIs
- Womack 2 for 4, double, home run, two runs, three RBIs
- Wynn Takacs (Tipton, Ind./Taylor) 2 for 4, run
UP NEXT
The Chargers step out of conference play to face Illinois Central in a nine-inning game at 6 p.m. Wednesday in East Peoria.
Follow Sandburg Baseball on GameChanger