Sandburg Baseball Completes Season Sweep of Sauk Valley
Aaron Frey
Wednesday, April 26, 2017 10:22 AM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
The Carl Sandburg College baseball team finished off a season sweep of Sauk Valley by beating the Skyhawks 11-3 and 16-6 on Tuesday in Arrowhead Conference play.
The Chargers (25-16, 11-3), winners of five of their last six overall, remain a half-game behind first-place Black Hawk in the league standings with six games to play, including the final four against the Braves.
Jordan Chandler (Erie, Ill./Erie) powered a Sandburg offense that combined for 29 hits, nine walks and four homers on the afternoon. Chandler finished the day 5 for 7 with two homers, two doubles, six RBIs and two walks. He homered and knocked in two in Game 1 before going 3 for 4 with four RBIs in the nightcap.
Sandburg never trailed in the opener after plating four runs in the first inning. Marty Mennenga (Rantoul, Ill./Paxton-Buckley-Loda), Angel Figueroa (East Chicago, Ind./Bishop Noll) and Blake Russell (Joy, Ill./Mercer County) joined Chandler with two RBIs in the opener. Shane Coleman (Abingdon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) delivered a solo home run as part of a 2-for-3 performance.
Levi Brening (Coon Rapids, Minn./DuQuoin) went the distance on the mound to win his fifth straight decision, improve to 8-1 overall and remain unbeaten in the league at 4-0. He allowed two earned runs on eight hits and three walks while whiffing seven.
The Chargers put up a 10-run second inning in Game 2 — their second straight day with a 10-run frame — to erase an early 3-1 deficit. Every batter in the Chargers’ lineup collected a hit in the contest, with six of them picking up at least two. Chandler hit a three-run shot and Mitchell Ellison (East Moline, Ill./United Township) added a two-run homer as part of the second-inning outburst. Chandler had a team-best four RBIs, while Mennenga, Coleman and Ellison each brought home three.
Cody Marquith (Knoxville, Ill./Knoxville) didn’t allow a run over the final 4 1/3 innings in relief of Travis Ausbury (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) to pick up his first victory of the season. The sophomore right-hander allowed just two hits and fanned a career-high seven batters.
The Chargers play at 6 p.m. Thursday at Augustana JV. Sandburg’s Arrowhead doubleheader at Kishwaukee from April 10 that was postponed has been rescheduled for 2 p.m. Friday at Rivets Stadium in Loves Park. The Chargers then play at Black Hawk at noon Saturday.