Chargers Get Wins at Black Hawk, Kankakee in Challenging Weekend Stretch

KANKAKEE — Playing perhaps its most challenging stretch of the season, the Carl Sandburg College baseball team picked up a pair of victories in a trio of weekend doubleheaders at sixth-ranked Madison, Black Hawk and Kankakee.

FRIDAY
Game 1
No. 6 Madison 2, Sandburg 1
Sandburg         000      010      0          —        1          6          1
Madison          010      100      x          —        2          3          0
L: Connor Best 6 IP, 2 K, 3 BB

KEY MOMENT
Down 2-0 in the fifth, the Chargers got on the board as Hunter Caves drew a one-out walk, Michael Kleinhans singled and Caves scored on Mitch Ball's base hit to left. The threat ended, however, as Bryce Brown hit into a 4-6-3 double play to close the inning.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Connor Best was saddled with the tough-luck loss despite allowing just three hits in a complete game. Best walked three, struck out two and needed just 77 pitches to complete six innings.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Ball — 2 for 3, RBI
• Jack Shields — 2 for 3
• Kleinhans — 2 for 3

Game 2
No. 6 Madison 8, Sandburg 3
Sandburg         001      200      0          —        3          10        5
Madison          120      500      x          —        8          7          0
L: Charlie Shissler 1 IP, 0 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Trailing 3-0 after two innings, Sandburg to a run back on Frank Kelch's RBI hit in the third and tied the game on Brown's two-out, two-run double in the fourth.
• Madison struck for five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead for good. The WolfPack took advantage of three singles, two hit batsmen and a Chargers error in the inning.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Center fielder Payton Hankins collected a hit in each of his three at-bats. The freshman singled twice, doubled and scored a run.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Ball — 2 for 4, stolen base

SATURDAY
Game 1
Sandburg 8, Black Hawk 3
Sandburg         003      003      2          —        8          8          1
Black Hawk     100      011      0          —        3          11        2
W: David Smith 7 IP, 6 K, 1 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Brown swatted a three-run homer to left with two out in the third to put the Chargers ahead 3-1.
• After the Braves pulled within 3-2, Sandburg collected three two-out runs in the sixth. Hankins singled to right to bring in Logan Van Heuklon. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for Ball, who knocked a two-run single into left.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
David Smith went the distance on the mound, allowing three runs on 11 hits. The right-hander struck out six and walked one in the victory.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Brown — 2 for 3, double, home run, three RBIs
• Logan Korte — 2 for 4
• Ball — 1 for 5, run, two RBIs

Game 2
Black Hawk 4, Sandburg 3
Sandburg         010      000      2          —        3          8          2
Black Hawk     100      100      2          —        4          4          2
L: Jason Hise 0.1 IP, 0 K, 1 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Down 2-1 heading into the seventh, the Sandburg scored twice to take its first lead. Jack Barham led off with a triple, and Ball followed with a walk. With one out, Jack Shields doubled to left to bring both runners in for a 3-2 advantage.
• After the Braves pulled within 3-2, Sandburg collected three two-out runs in the sixth. Hankins singled to right to bring in Logan Van Heuklon. A hit batter and a walk loaded the bases for Ball, who knocked a two-run single into left.
• A leadoff single and one-out walk put the tying and winning runs on base for the Braves in the bottom of the seventh. Black Hawk tied the game with a one-out base hit and scored the winning run on a passed ball.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Highlighted by his two-run double, Shields finished the contest 3 for 4.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Barham — 2 for 3, triple, run
• Julian Harris — 6 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, 4 walks, 2 strikeouts

ARROWHEAD CONFERENCE SCENARIOS
Sandburg (12-4) must win its final four conference games to get a share of its second straight Arrowhead championship. The Chargers host doubleheaders against Black Hawk on Tuesday and Highland on May 4. Black Hawk (16-2) has a two-game lead on Sandburg, with Tuesday's doubleheader being the Braves' final conference games.

SUNDAY
Game 1
Sandburg 5, Kankakee 3
Sandburg         130      000      1          —        5          5          1
Kankakee        200      010      0          —        3          10        2
W: Parker Stoneking 4.1 IP, 3 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENT
The Chargers took the lead for good with a trio of runs in the second for a 4-2 advantage. Ball forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk. Brown followed with a sacrifice fly to put Sandburg ahead, and Barham also scored on the play thanks to an error by the Cavaliers' pitcher.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Brown went 2 for 3 with a run and an RBI. He doubled for the Chargers' only extra-base hit in the contest.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Ball — 1 for 3, two RBIs
• Kelch — 2 for 3, run

Game 2
Kankakee 11, Sandburg 8
Sandburg         301      400      0          —        8          8          1
Kankakee        005      033      x          —        11        10        2
L: Shissler 1.1 IP, 2 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Van Heuklon's three-run homer in the fourth capped a four-run inning and put Sandburg up 8-5.
• Kankakee tied the game with a three-run dinger in the fifth, then went ahead with three more runs in the sixth on the strength of three hits and a leadoff error by the Chargers.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Korte doubled and had a two-run homer in the first as part of a 2-for-3 effort. The sophomore designated hitter scored a run and drove in three.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Ball — 3 for 5, two runs
• Van Heuklon — 1 for 2, two walks, three-run home run
• Shields — 1 for 5, three runs, RBI

UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
2 p.m. Tuesday vs. Black Hawk 

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