The Madison College baseball team opened the season with three games against ranked opponents in the Heartland Community College Winter Classic on Feb. 27-28.
While the WolfPack only won one of the three games, the team showed it could score plenty of runs against top-notch competition.
In the first game, fifth-ranked Madison College rallied to beat 15th-ranked Parkland College, 8-6, in eight innings.
Trailing 6-5 entering the final inning, Madison College’s Sam Moses led off with a double and scored on a double by Braylen White to tie the game. It was White’s third extra-base hit of the game. The freshman also had a triple and another double.
After surviving a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh inning, the game went into extra innings.
A two-out triple by Moses scored Jonah Roloff and Matt Gruber to give the WolfPack a 8-6 lead. Carter Lund then pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning to secure the victory.
Madison College lost to 18th-ranked Kirkwood Community College in the next game, falling 9-5. Kirkwood hit three home runs and took advantage of three WolfPack errors in the game.
Nate Novinska drove in three runs and had two hits, including a home run, for the WolfPack. White had a triple and drove in a run, his second triple in two games.
Madison College got off to a rough start against fourth-ranked Heartland Community College, falling behind 13-0 after five innings. The WolfPack battled back after that, but still lost, 13-9.
Casey Wambach posted a career best 4 for 5 at the plate, including a home run. Moses went 3 for 3 at the plate, while Novinska added two hits.
Madison College heads to Arizona for its annual spring trip from March 12 through March 20. The WolfPack’s first home game is scheduled for April 3 at noon against Rock Valley College.