(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College hosted Harper College on a sunny and warm Sunday afternoon. The Chiefs (11-30) recognized and honored their sophomore players and their families prior to the noon doubleheader. The Hawks (26-17) then spoiled the party, sweeping the twin bill 7-3 and 11-4 on Waubonsee's Sophomore Day.
In the opener the Hawks got on the board in the top of the first with a pair of singles and a fielder's choice ground out. The score remained that way until the top of the fourth when Harper scored four times to take control of the game. Three singles and a double to right by the Hawks' Gavin Kelly helped stake the visitors to a 5-0 lead. Waubonsee got two of those runs back in their half of the fourth when Jacob Cronshaw drilled his fifth long ball of the Spring, a two-run homer to right field. Harper added another run in the top of the fifth as Connor Kave led off with a single through the right side of the infield. Kave stole second and third before scoring on a ground out to give the Hawks a 6-2 lead.
The visitors tacked on another run in the sixth when Cooper Nelson double and scored two batters later on a single to center by Brayden Clancy. Waubonsee's Cameron Hull led off the bottom half of the frame with a single and stole second. He scored when Cronshaw ripped a single up the middle to make it 7-3. But that is as close as the Chiefs would get with Ivan Acevedo taking the loss on the bump. Cronshaw finished the game 3 for 3 with three runs batted in and one scored, while Hull went 2 for 3 with two runs scored.
In game two the Hawks jumped in front with three runs in the top of the first keyed by a two-run double to right field by Kevin Geake. Chiefs' starter Mason Schlosser set down the Hawks in the second before Geake smashed a one-out opposite field homer to right field in the top of the third to make it 4-0. The Hawks broke the game open in the top of the fourth as Clancy smashed his ninth homer of the season, a no doubt three-run homer to right field to knock Schlosser out of the game. Harper then tacked on two more runs off relief pitcher Tyler Kostro to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
Waubonsee got on the board in the bottom of the fourth without the benefit of a hit. Hawks' starter Gavin O'Neil suddenly lost his control as he hit a batter, walked two Chiefs and threw three wild pitches to allow a pair of runs to score. Sam Carroll then bounced a single up the middle for Waubonsee's first hit of the game to drive in Enrique Alvarez to cut the deficit to 9-3. Waubonsee threatened in the bottom of the fourth as Aaron Klemm was hit by a pitch and stole second. Alvarez then smashed a double to right center field to drive Klemm in and make it 9-4. Carroll then reached on an infield single, but a strikeout and a caught stealing abruptly ended the inning. Harper used that momentum to strike for two more runs in the top of the seventh on a two-out, two-run triple to the left center field fence to extend the lead to 11-4. Waubonsee got a couple of runners on base in the bottom of the seventh before the final out was recorded. Carroll finished the game 2 for 3 as the Chiefs managed just four hits in the contest.
Waubonsee is in action again this coming Tuesday, March 28 when Kennedy-King College from Chicago comes to Sugar Grove for a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader. The Chiefs are also set to host Kishwaukee College on Wednesday, April 29 with the two-game set beginning at 2:00 p.m. Coach Alex Hales' crew closes out their home schedule on Friday, May 1 when they host McHenry County College in a 2:00 p.m. twin bill. Waubonsee is also set to play at Northwestern Medicine Field, home of the Kane County Cougars, on Saturday, May 2 in a 1:00 p.m. contest against Sauk Valley Community College. The Chiefs last regular season game is set for Sunday, May 3 at Joliet Junior College beginning at noon.