(Sugar Grove, IL) – With abundant sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60's for the first time this spring, Waubonsee Community College hosted Elgin Community College on Saturday afternoon in an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) doubleheader. The up and down Chiefs (9-14, 4-0), who own four victories over three nationally ranked teams despite a sub .500 record, rallied to win game one 8-3. Waubonsee then completed the sweep by scoring in every inning except the first on the way to a 9-3 victory over the Spartans (8-14, 1-3) in game two.
In the opener Elgin took advantage of a two-out error to tally three unearned runs in the top of the first inning, highlighted by a two-run double deep to left center field by Patrick Nelson. In the process the pitch count for Chiefs' starting pitcher Blake Sotir reached 40 pitches to get through the first frame, which would become a factor later. In the bottom of the second Waubonsee scored twice to pull within a run. The Chiefs loaded the bases on a pair of singles and a walk, before plating a run on a fielder's choice ground out and a double steal.
Meanwhile, Sotir's pitch count was already approaching 100 in the top of the fourth inning. So Waubonsee head coach Rodney Lopez turned to reliever Willam Oczkowski with two on and two out. The Sycamore native induced a groundout to first base to end the threat. Waubonsee quickly utilized that momentum to tie the game at three. Matt Bivens led off with a double to right center and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by Cole Shrank. The Chiefs' nine hitter Aidan Sheehan then came through with a two-strike single past the third baseman to plate Bivens and knot the score.
Waubonsee took the lead in bottom of the fifth when Jonny Marquez laced a two-out double down the left field line. Noe Marrero went in to pinch run and shortly thereafter stole third base. That turned out to an important moment as he scored on a passed ball two pitches later for a 4-3 Chiefs' lead. However, Elgin came back to load the bases on a triple and two walks in the top of the sixth. After a mound visit by pitching coach Ken Isham, Oczkowski escaped the jam by getting Elgin's Gavin Crofoot to ground out to second base to end the inning.
Once again, the Chiefs fed off that momentum and quickly threatened as Bivens ripped a single to center field for his third hit of the game. Cole Schrank then drilled a double to right field to put runners at second and third with no outs and chase Elgin starter Adrian Ruiz. Sheehan then grounded out to knock in his third run of the game and Joel Johnson followed with a clean single up the middle to drive in Schrank. After Garrett Peters reached on a two-base error, Chazz Crook put the game out of reach with a two-run single to right to make it 8-3.
Oczkowski set the Spartans down in order in the seventh to earn the victory in relief. The right-hander struck out five, walked two and allowed just one hit over three and a third innings pitched. The Spartans finished the game with only three hits, while Waubonsee registered 11. Bivens finished 3 for 3 with three runs scored, Johnson went 2 for 4 with a run scored and one driven in, and Marquez also booked a pair of hits and scored once.
Game two started out with the pitchers in command as Waubonsee's Julio Romero and Elgin's Frank Szymanski each faced the minimum through the first nine batters. However, the Chiefs utilized a pair of walks and a double by Bivens to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Jaron Schiera then knocked in a second run with a ground out to shortstop to score Marquez from third base.
Elgin got runners to second and third with two outs in the top of the third before Romero booked his fifth strike out to keep the Chiefs in front. Just as they did in the first game, Waubonsee responded in their half of the inning as Peters dumped a bloop single to center and then stole second base. He scored two pitches later when Crook lined a single to left center field for a 3-0 Chiefs lead.
However, Romero walked the first two Elgin batters in the top of the fourth and the Spartans made him pay for it. Charlie Jury drilled a two-run double to right center for the Spartans first hit of the game. Jury then moved up to third base on a fly ball to right center field and then scored on a wild pitch to tie the game at three. After an infield single and hit batter, Sean Earwood came on in relief of Romero and got out of the jam with a fly out to center.
Once more Waubonsee answered as Schrank drew a walk to start the bottom of the fourth. Bivens then reached base on a Spartans' error with Schrank scampering to third. After Bivens stole second, Schiera grounded out to second base to push Schrank across for a 4-3 Chiefs' lead. Moments later Sheehan grounded out to shortstop with Bivens crossing home to give Waubonsee a two-run lead.
The Chiefs looked to add to their lead in the bottom of the fifth as Peters led off with a single and stole second. Brendon Wilson then drew a one-out walk before Marquez smacked a deep fly ball to right field just out of the reach of Jury. Unfortunately, Peters thinking the ball was going to be caught, had gone back toward second and was subsequently thrown out at the plate for the second out. Szymanski then exited and the Spartans' reliever struggled to throw strikes as three consecutive walks then forced in a pair of runs as Waubonsee went ahead 7-3.
The Chiefs tacked on a couple insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth as Johnson led off with a double and scored a minute later via a single to right by Peters. Crook then drilled a double over the left fielder's head to plate Peters. Earwood then closed out the game with his fourth strikeout as he retired 9 of the 10 batters he faced over three and a third scoreless innings to pick up the win. Peters finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored, two stolen bases and a run knocked in to lead the Chiefs' offense. Elgin managed just two hits in game two as Romero and Earwood combined to strike out 10 Spartan batters.
Waubonsee is in action again this coming Monday, April 10 when they host Prairie State College in another ISCC twinbill. Game one is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. in Sugar Grove.