(Sugar Grove, IL) –Waubonsee Community College's baseball team dropped a pair of games to the College of DuPage on Tuesday afternoon. Miscues on defense cost the Chiefs (10-29) the first game as they fell 12-6. The Chaparrals (20-10), receiving votes in the top-20 of the latest NJCAA Division III poll, took game two 14-3 in five innings to complete the doubleheader sweep. DuPage had previously downed Waubonsee 9-4 in Glen Ellyn back on April 1.
Waubonsee got on the board in the first inning as Dominic Czerwinski led off with an infield single. Ryan Stempowski then drew a walk and Austin Stone followed with a single to left field to score Czerwinski. Another single to left field by Michael Alvarez drove in Stempowski and Stone then stole third base two pitches later. He scored a moment later on Cole Schrank's fielder's choice ground out. In the bottom of the second Dante Maietta led off with a line single to center and promptly stole second base. Czerwinski then drilled a one-out double over the center fielder's head to make it a 4-0 Chiefs' lead.
Meanwhile, Chiefs' starting pitcher Michael Lorenz stranded a Chaparral runner at second in the first inning and another at third base in the second. He nearly escaped another jam in the third after surrendering a leadoff double and walking the next batter. However, DuPage was able to cut the deficit in half as both runners scored on a two-out error by Waubonsee. The Chiefs quickly got one of those runs back in their half of the third as the left-handed hitting Stone led off the frame with a towering, opposite field home run to left field.
The Chaparrals pulled even in the fourth courtesy of a pair of walks, a single and another Waubonsee error that allowed both runners to score. Moments later a third Chiefs' fielding error in the inning put runners at first and third with only one out. DuPage's Kyle Fenner then smacked a single up the middle to suddenly give the visitors a 6-5 lead. Fenner then scored shortly thereafter on a throwing error as the Chiefs' defense continued to falter.
Maietta then led off the bottom of the fourth with a mammoth home run, well beyond the left field fence, to get the Chiefs back within a run. DuPage then loaded the bases with one out in the top of the sixth on three walks by Chiefs' relievers. After a wild pitch scored a run, DuPage's Cam Bailey laced a two-run single to left to put the Chaparrals ahead 10-6. Jason Cousineau then ripped a triple to straight away center field to knock in Bailey, and Cousineau scored on a sacrifice fly to give DuPage plenty of breathing room.
Lorenz took the loss, but probably deserved a better fate. He went three and a third innings, allowing only two earned runs while striking out three and walking three. Czerwinski finished the game 3 for 4 with two doubles, a run scored and one driven in. Stone went 2 for 4 with two runs knocked in and two scored. Maietta ended the game 2 for 3 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while Alvarez also contributed a pair of hits.
Game two started out on a high note for Waubonsee. Stempowski, the Chiefs' second baseman, made an outstanding diving stop on a hard hit ball headed to right field and threw to first for the first out of the game. Unfortunately, there were few other bright moments for the home team after that. The Chaparrals batted around in the top of the second inning, sending 10 batters to the plate on the way to scoring six times to take control early on. Two-run singles by Fenner and Carson Roberts highlighted the frame, capped off by Fenner stealing home for the sixth run. DuPage added three more runs in the top of the third when Nolan Pomatto drilled a three-run homer over the 405 mark in left center field. A walk and a triple to left center field by A.J. Taylor then put the Chaparrals in front 10-0. Taylor scored a moment later when Fenner singled to center field.
Waubonsee broke the shutout in the third when Brian Wrenn ripped a run-scoring single to right to drive in Grant Vosburgh. A throwing error by the Chaparrals then allowed Stempowski to score from third to make it 11-2. Two batters later Maietta drilled a double to right center field to score Wrenn. However, Waubonsee's Brendon Wilson was thrown out at the plate trying to score from first to end the inning. DuPage tacked on two more runs in the top of the fourth to push their lead back up to double-digits. A two-out, run-scoring double by Lucas Hansen in the fifth extended the lead to 14-3.
The Chiefs, who have lost 11 of their last 13 games, host 10th ranked Joliet Junior College in a single, 9-inning game tomorrow, Wednesday, April 27, beginning at 3:00 p.m. in Sugar Grove. Waubonsee is also set to host Olive-Harvey College in a noon doubleheader this coming Saturday, April 30 for Alumni Day. The Chiefs' baseball program, in its 55th year of competition, will be celebrated throughout the twinbill. Former head coaches Dave Randall and Brad Unger are scheduled to make appearances. Waubonsee baseball alumni attending will receive a Chiefs' t-shirt, an alumni benefits card and Waubonsee key chain.