(Sugar Grove, IL) –Waubonsee Community College's baseball team downed Harper College 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon in a key late season match-up. The victory helps assure the Chiefs of possibly qualifying for the Region IV Division III Tournament set to begin May 12. The Hawks had previously swept a doubleheader from Waubonsee in Palatine 13-3 and 9-2 back on April 25. The unpredictable Chiefs, who own a 15-31 overall record, also have a pair of wins over second-ranked Niagara County (NY) Community College and ninth-ranked Joliet Junior College.
Waubonsee got on the board early against the Hawks scoring twice in the bottom of the first inning. Blake Edgmon doubled down the right field line to lead things off, and scored a moment later when Dante Maietta laced a single to center field. After a fielder's choice ground out put Austin Stone on first, he scored when Michael Alvarez ripped a double past the Hawks' third baseman and down the left field line.
The Chiefs threatened again in the second frame loading the bases with two outs on a single by Ryan Stempowski, another double by Edgmon and a walk to Dominic Czerwinski. However, Maietta grounded out to third base to end the inning. Waubonsee's defense then turned a double play for the second straight inning to stymie the Hawks offense. The Chiefs turned a third double play in the top of the fifth as the score remained 2-0 in Waubonsee's favor.
In the bottom half of the inning Grant Vosburgh beat out an infield hit to short and then stole second base. Two pitches later he scored on a line drive single to left field by Alvarez. Harper then stranded two more base runners in the sixth as Chiefs' starter Dwan Westmoreland registered his fourth strikeout of the game to end the threat. Waubonsee carried that momentum into the bottom half of the sixth and added three more runs to grab a commanding 6-0 lead. Left-hand hitting Cole Schrank led off the inning with a towering home run to right field. Brian Wrenn reached on an error with one out and scored when Stempowski ripped a double to right centerfield. He then moved to third on a bunt and scored on a wild pitch shortly thereafter.
The Hawks avoided the shutout in the top of the seventh when George Betevis doubled to right centerfield and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by John Swiderek. Harper tallied a second run in the top of the eighth on a walk, a balk and a one-out double to left field by Nic Castrovillari. Waubonsee loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame on a single and two hit batsmen, but was unable to add to its' lead. Maietta, the second of two Chiefs' relievers, shut the door in the ninth striking out the final two batters of the game.
Stempowski, Alvarez and Edgmon all finished with two hits apiece for the Chiefs, whom totaled 11 hits for the game. Westmoreland went six innings allowing just four hits and one run, while striking out four and walking two to pick up the win. Left-hander Michael Gatze allowed one run and one hit over an inning and a third of work with Maietta retiring all five batters he faced to end the game.
Waubonsee is set to host Black Hawk College in a doubleheader this coming Friday, May 6, starting at 1:00 p.m. in Sugar Grove. The Chiefs are slated to travel to north suburban Grayslake this Saturday, May 7 to battle the College of Lake County in a non-conference twin bill beginning at noon. Coach Rodney Lopez's crew will close out the regular season on Sunday, May 8, when they play a doubleheader at Kishwaukee College. First pitch between the Chiefs and Kougars is set for noon in Malta.