(Sugar Grove, IL) – Waubonsee Community College's baseball team swept a pair of games over Roosevelt University-Peoria's Junior Varsity in an early Monday afternoon doubleheader on the Chiefs' Sugar Grove campus field. The Chiefs (6-2) downed the Lakers in game one 10-3 as three Waubonsee pitchers combined to toss a 1-hitter. In game two Waubonsee pitchers again held the visitors in check in a 2-1 victory to complete the sweep and run their winning streak to six games.
After playing only two games last spring due to the coronavirus pandemic, Waubonsee opened this season on March 13, dropping a pair of games to Spoon River Community College on the Chiefs' diamond. Waubonsee bounced back over this past weekend sweeping a pair of doubleheaders. The Chiefs downed Milwaukee Area (WI) Technical College 5-4 and 3-0 on Saturday at The Rock Sports Complex in Franklin, Wisconsin. Waubonsee then swept a twinbill yesterday from Illinois Valley Community College, beating the Eagles 8-4 and 2-0 in Sugar Grove.
Against Roosevelt the Chiefs fell behind early as the Lakers utilized three walks, a hit batter and a two-run single to score three times in the top of the first inning off Jesus Maravillo. Waubonsee immediately responded as Luis Rodriguez was hit by a pitch and went to third on a hit and run single by Ryan Stempowski. On the next pitch Stempowski stole second and Rodriguez scored when the Lakers' throw to third base got away. Stempowski moved up to third on the play and scored a moment later on a wild pitch. Carter Wardell then reached on an error and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly to left field by Joey Pantano to tie the score. A line single to left by Ryan Teuscher a minute later scored Mitchell Stempowski, who had walked and stole second, to put Waubonsee in front 4-3.
The score remained that way until the bottom of the third when the Chiefs erupted for six runs to take a commanding 10-3 lead. Waubonsee smacked six hits in the frame, including run-scoring doubles by Luca Paolucci, Rodriguez and Dante Maietta. Maravillo settled down after the first inning, tossing hitless and scoreless second and third innings. Hunter Venditti came on in relief and struck out three over a couple of shutout innings. Ken Hiltenbrand then finished up on the mound for Waubonsee striking out three over the final two innings to secure the victory.
In game two, Michael Klazura limited the Lakers to just three hits and one run over the first four innings to earn the victory. Dwan Westmoreland came on in relief and nailed down the save for Waubonsee. The Chiefs scored both of their runs in the second inning as Pantano and Robert Rosengarten started things off with base hits. Teuscher then reached base on a bunt single to load the bases. A couple pitches later Paolucci grounded into a force out at second to score Pantano. The Chiefs then executed a first and third steal and stop play with Rosengarten scoring what turned out to be the decisive run as Paolucci was tagged out at second base. Klazura and Westmoreland made sure that was enough as they kept the Lakers' bats quiet throughout the game.
Coach Rodney Lopez's Chiefs are in action again this coming Friday, March 26 when they head to Freeport to take on Highland Community College in a doubleheader starting at 2:00 p.m.