(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College and Moraine Valley Community College engaged in a high-scoring, back-and-forth battle on the baseball diamond Friday afternoon. The Cyclones (11-30, 5-7) eventually pulled away and prevailed 26-13 in eight innings to take the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference (ISCC) match-up from the Chiefs (11-27, 4-9). The combined 39 runs is the second most in a game in Chiefs' baseball history, trailing only the 57 runs tallied when Waubonsee defeated South Suburban College 32-25 in 2004 on a very blustery day in South Holland. The combined run total also is the most in an ISCC contest involving Waubonsee, eclipsing the previous mark of 31 runs when the Chiefs trounced Morton College 28-3 in 2018. The Chiefs are Cyclones are set to square off again tomorrow, Saturday, April 25 with the first pitch at noon in southwest suburban Palos Hills.
Chiefs' starter Michael Delgado retired the first two Cyclones' batters of the game before the visitors utilized a walk, single and an error to push across a run with two outs. Waubonsee responded in their half of the first, also scoring after the first two batters were set down by Moraine Valley starter Brandon Elting. Jacob Cronshaw drew a walk and then stole second, scoring two pitches later on a sinking line drive single to left field. Eliseo Liscano then reached base on a throwing error that allowed J.P. Merlak to score to put Waubonsee in front 2-1. The Chiefs added to their lead in the bottom of the second when Carson Baker led off the frame with a walk. Two batters later Cameron Hull smashed a stand-up triple to the base of the left center field fence to make it 3-1. Elting continued to have control issues as he walked Donovan Williams and Aaron Klemm to load the bases before a passed ball allowed Hull to score. Cronshaw then launched a deep fly ball to center field as Williams tagged up and scored easily from third base to extend the lead to 5-1.
The Cyclones got one of those runs back in the top of the third when Valente Melero launched a solo home run to left field, his 12th long ball of the spring. That seemed to ignite Morine Valley, which then loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a bloop single, to suddenly get the potential tying run on base. Aiden Radtke then lined a shot to right center field that a diving Cronshaw had in his glove for a moment before it popped out. The ball rolled away just enough to allow Jared Velez to scamper all the way home from first to tie the game. Cooper Matheny then came on in relief of Delgado and surrendered a run-scoring double and a triple to give the Cyclones a 7-5 lead. They added to their advantage when Melero led off the top of the fourth with a no doubt, tape-measure solo home run well beyond the left field fence. Three batters later Velez launched a high fly to left field that just got over the fence for a two-run blast giving Moraine Valley a 10-5 lead.
Waubonsee made some noise in the bottom half of the fourth as Williams walked, Klemm doubled to right and Cronshaw lined a single to left to plate Williams. A minute later the Chiefs' executed a double steal to get another run and pull within 10-7. Two walks loaded the bases and Baker nearly cleared them with a one-hop double off the left field fence, driving in two and getting Waubonsee within one at 10-9. Colin Henry then delivered a clutch two-run single through the left side of the infield to put the Chiefs back in front 11-10. After the Cyclones got a second out, Williams launched a two-out double to left center to drive in Henry to cap off Waubonsee's seven run inning.
Moraine Valley immediately bounced back in the top of the fifth scoring a run on a single, walk and an error to get the deficit down to one at 12-11. Melero followed with a bloop single to right field to score two more and put the Cyclones back in front 13-12. The visitors loaded the bases and pushed across another run on a one-out walk before the Chiefs turned an inning-ending double play. Moraine Valley loaded the bases again in the top of the sixth on two walks and an infield hit. A wild pitch brought one run in before Melero laced a two-run single through the right side of the infield to build the Cyclones' lead back up to five at 17-12. A two-out single to center by Velez plated another run and three more straight singles drove in two more to make it 20-12 as Waubonsee's bullpen struggles continued.
Meanwhile, Michael Bielski, Moraine Valley's fourth pitcher of the day started to turn the tide by setting down six of the first eight batters he faced in tossing two scoreless frames. The Cyclones extended the lead to 10 runs when Andrew Phelan ripped a two-run homer just to the left of the scoreboard in right center field. In the bottom of the seventh Klemm led off by beating out an infield hit. He then advanced all the way to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball to momentarily thwart Moraine Valley's plan for a 10-run slaughter rule victory in seven innings. The Cyclones got that run back courtesy of two walks and a run-scoring single, before a two-run triple by Aiden Roessler pushed the lead up to a dozen runs. Moraine Valley then doubled up on the Chiefs as Joshua Keller followed with a double to left center field to make it 26-13.
Baker paced Waubonsee going 2 for 4 with two doubles, two runs batted in, a walk and two runs scored. Klemm also went 2 of 4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored. In addition, Henry finished 2 for 4 with a double, two runs knocked in and a run scored. Austin Preuss, the third of four pitchers who appeared on the mound for Waubonsee took the loss. Moraine Valley's Melero had a monumental day in leading the Cyclones going 5 for 7 with two homers, six runs batted in and three runs scored.