(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's baseball team scored a thrilling, extra-inning 3-2 walk-off win in the opener of their non-conference doubleheader against Illinois Valley Community College on Wednesday afternoon. Ethan Cusack laced a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth for the victory as the Chiefs' last three wins have all come in walk-off fashion. With a light drizzle falling on and off throughout the twin bill Waubonsee (9-37) fell behind early in game two and could not catch up as the Eagles' (10-33) bats came to life on the way to earning a split to take game two 11-4.
In game one neither team could put together much on offense through the first four innings. Chiefs' starter Noah Dowler allowed three hits, with two of them being erased on the base paths, while striking out four and walking no one. Illinois Valley starter Bo Thomas matched him allowing two hits and a walk as the Chiefs stranded a runner on base in each of the first three innings. The Eagles' Nolan VanDuzer then led off the top of the fifth with a double off the base of the right field fence. On the very next pitch Nolan Hunter bounced a single between third and shortstop to put runners at the corners. However, Dowler worked out of the jam by getting a strikeout and then a ground ball up the middle. Waubonsee shortstop Dylan Conklin snagged the ball behind the bag, ran up and stepped on second and in one motion threw to first to get Illinois Valley's Max Cook by an eyelash for an inning-ending double play.
The game remained scoreless heading into the bottom of the sixth until the Chiefs' Max Smith drew a one-out walk. Moments later he moved up to second on a pitch that bounced in front of the plate and got far enough away from the catcher. Sam Carroll then also walked with ball four being a passed ball allowing Smith to move to third. Thomas then coaxed a pop out for the second out and looked like he might get out of the jam. However, Waubonsee's Ben Hernandez drilled a line shot single through the left side of the infield on a hit and run to drive in Smith with the first run of the game. Carroll raced to third as the throw was cut off and Hernandez beat the relay throw to second with two outs. Chase Gabel then hit a chopper to third and reached base when Jaydon Riggs' throw pulled first baseman Casey Clennon off the base as Carroll crossed the plate with the Chiefs' second run.
Illinois Valley rallied in the top of the seventh getting runners on first and second with one out. Chiefs' head coach Alex Hales elected to leave Dowler, who had pitched well for six innings, in the game to face Hunter. The Eagles' catcher lined a pitch to center field to suddenly make it 2-1 and knock Dowler out of the game. Unfortunately, the ensuing throw from the outfield into third base got away allowing the runners to move up to second and third. Carson Baker came on in relief for Waubonsee and pinch hitter Wade Menard hit a one hopper up the middle that Conklin snared and threw to first for the second out as the tying run crossed the plate. With the go ahead run at third base Baker got a comebacker to the mound for the third out.
Ashton Pecher came on in relief of Thomas and retired the Chiefs in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings. Baker registered a pair of strike outs in booking a three up and three down eighth inning. Waubonsee got runners to first and second with two outs in their half of the frame but stranded them there sending the contest to the ninth inning. After Baker recorded three quick outs, pinch hitter Jack Sharko led off the bottom of the ninth, reaching base by getting hit with a pitch. Two batters later Jacob Cronshaw slashed a line drive down the left field line that barely landed in fair territory for a double as Sharko reached third with the potential winning run. Illinois Valley head coach Nick Harsted had Louis Leon intentionally walked to load the bases with one out. Cusack, who had come on to pinch run the inning before, smashed the second pitch he saw into the right center field gap for a walk-off winner.
Dowler received a no-decision after throwing six and a third innings, striking out five, walking one and surrendering two runs on seven hits. Baker earned the win tossing two and two-thirds scoreless innings of relief. Cronshaw and Andrew Hernandez paced the Chiefs' offense with two hits each.
After the pitcher's duel in the first game, the second game started much different as the Eagles scored five times in the top of the first on six straight hits with two outs. Riggs ripped a double to right field and the left-handed hitting Clennon followed with a mammoth home run to right to make it 2-0. Illinois Valley then lined four consecutive singles to plate three more runs. A sliding back-handed snag by Chiefs' third baseman Andrew Hernandez and a perfect throw across the diamond from foul territory ended the inning and prevented any further damage. Waubonsee responded by loading the bases with no outs in the bottom of the first inning. A fielder's choice ground out by Carroll pushed across one run and a sacrifice fly by Hernandez cut the deficit to 5-2.
Illinois Valley quickly got those runs back in the top of the second as the soggy field conditions began to come into play. Back-to-back errors by the Chiefs and a single to left scored a run before Carroll came on in relief. Clennon then greeted him with a line shot single past first base to extend the Eagles' lead to 7-2. The visitors tacked on an eighth run on a fielder's choice ground out. The Chiefs then loaded the bases again in the bottom of the second against Eagles' starter Payton Dye. But they left the bags loaded as Dye induced back-to-back pop outs. Illinois Valley added to their lead with two more runs in the top of the third on a two-out, two-run bases loaded single by Clennon.
In the Chiefs' half of the third Eagles' center fielder Brady Romagnoli made two sensational running catches to deep left center field to take away potential extra base hits and thwart any thoughts Waubonsee had of rallying. Cronshaw then returned the favor by running down a drive in the right center field gap by Romagnoli to end the fourth inning. The Chiefs tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth as Conklin and Leon both singled and then executed a successful first and third double steal. Sharko then drilled a double over the left fielder's head to knock in Leon to make it 10-4. Illinois Valley tacked on another run in the top of the seventh via a sacrifice fly by Clennon, his sixth run batted in for the game. Dye went the distance for the Eagles to pick up the pitching victory.
Leon finished the game 3 for 4 with two runs scored and a stolen base to pace Waubonsee's attack. Carroll threw five innings of relief allowing only two runs in slowing down the Eagles' bats after the second inning. The Chiefs are on the road at McHenry County College tomorrow, Thursday, May 1 and at Kishwaukee College on Friday, May 2. Waubonsee is also set to play at Sauk Valley Community College on Saturday, May 3, before closing out the regular season by hosting Kennedy-King College in a doubleheader this coming Sunday, May 4 beginning at noon.
