(Sugar Grove, IL.) – Waubonsee Community College's baseball team hosted Sauk Valley Community College in their final home game of the 2026 season on Saturday afternoon. Originally scheduled to be played at Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, the home of the Kane County Cougars, the contest was moved to the Chiefs' field. With a nice crowd on hand for Waubonsee's Community Day festivities, the Skyhawks (23-24) took an early lead before the Chiefs (15-30) rallied scoring seven times in the fifth inning on the way to win going away 14-7.
Sauk Valley jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead in the top of the first ambushing Waubonsee starter Ivan Acevedo. The Skyhawks registered six hits in the frame highlighted by a two-run single by Zac Matz and a two-run double by Colby Ward. From that point on Acevedo settled down and retired eight of the next nine batters. Waubonsee got a run in the bottom of the first when Aaron Klemm reached on an infield hit. J.P. Merlak then smashed a two-out double over the left fielder's head to drive in Klemm. In the top of the fourth Sauk Valley got that run back when James Burgess drilled a two-out double to the left center field gap to knock in Parker Rangel who had reached base on a throwing error.
In the bottom of the fourth the Chiefs took a big bite of the 6-1 deficit to get back within striking distance. Waubonsee got runners on the corners with one out before Eliseo Liscano smashed a long double to left center field fence to drive in two runs. Two batters later Donovan Williams lined the first pitch he saw into center field to knock in Liscano to make it 6-4. Waubonsee pushed across a run in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of an error by Sauk Valley with two outs to cut deficit to one run. The Chiefs got the potential tying and go-ahead runners on base knocking Skyhawks's starter Tony Ciamprone out of the game. Clayton Ohl came on in relief and hit Liscano to load the bases. Andrew Hernandez then blooped a ball to center that just eluded Sauk Valley center fielder Christian Guzman as all three Chiefs raced around the bases to score suddenly giving Waubonsee an 8-6 lead. Williams followed with his third hit of the game, a ringing double to left center, to score Liscano. Ohl then snagged a comebacker to the mound but threw wildly to first base allowing Klemm to reach base. The Chiefs took advantage of the miscue as Klemm then stole second and Cronshaw ripped a single through the right side of the infield to score both Williams and Klemm to cap off a seven-run inning giving the home team an 11-6 lead.
Brogan Mello came on to pitch for the Chiefs in the top of the sixth and kept the Skyhawks off the scoreboard to keep the momentum in Waubonsee's dugout. The Chiefs then added to their lead in the bottom half of the frame as Liscano drilled a one-out double to right center field. He scored a few pitches later as Hernandez ripped a double to the base of the right field fence to extend the lead to 12-6. Waubonsee got another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth when Sam Carroll blasted a solo home run to left field to start the inning. Cameron Hull then walked and stole second base, racing all the way to third when the pitch got away from Burgess, the Skyhawks' catcher. Hull scored two batters later as Hernandez lofted a sacrifice fly out to center field to make it 14-6. The Skyhawks were down to their final out when Carter Schueler launched a no doubt solo home run over the scoreboard in right center field to close out the scoring.
Liscano finished 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, three runs scored and two runs batted in. Williams went 3 for 6 with two runs knocked in, two stolen bases and a run scored. Hernandez knocked in five runs on the day finishing 2 for 4 with two doubles and a sacrifice fly out. Acevedo picked up the win limiting Sauk Valley to one unearned run after the shaky first inning. The right-hander from Aurora West High School finished with six strikeouts and walked just one batter after the Skyhawks early ambush. Mello shut down the Skyhawks over the final four innings allowing just one run on three hits, while striking out three and walking just one. Waubonsee closes out the regular season tomorrow, Sunday, May 3 when they travel to Joliet Junior College. The single, nine-inning contest is slated to beginning at noon on Wayne L. King Field.