Smith matches career-best with 14 Ks in Chargers’ sweep at Illinois Valley

PERU — David Smith struck out 14 batters in Game 1, and Payton Hankins homered in both ends of the Carl Sandburg College baseball team's Arrowhead Conference sweep at Illinois Valley on Saturday.

GAME 1
Sandburg 6, Illinois Valley 4
Sandburg         000      140      1          —        6          8          2
Illinois Valley   200      000      2          —        4          6          1
W – David Smith 6 IP, 14 K, 2 BB
SV – Kyle Uselton 1 IP, 1 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENT
Down 2-0, Hankins' leadoff homer in the fourth got the Chargers on the board before they plated four runs in the fifth to grab the lead for good. Noahl Wolf tied the game at 2-2 with a single to center. After Hankins was plunked to load the bases, Derek Castillo singled in two with a hit to right. Austin Wiegand drove in another run with a double to make it a 5-2 Sandburg lead.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Smith turned in six dominant innings to get the victory on the mound as the big righthander tied his career high with 14 strikeouts. Smith also posted 14 strikeouts March 28 at South Suburban. Saturday marked the third time this season and seventh time in his Chargers career he reached double-digit Ks in an outing. He allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while throwing 71 of 107 pitches for strikes.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Hankins — Home run, three runs
• Wolf — 2 for 3, run, RBI

GAME 2
Sandburg 15, Illinois Valley 12
Sandburg         324      400      2          —        15        15        4
Illinois Valley   103      215      0          —        12        13        2
W – Cameron Howard 5 IP, 8 K , 5 BB

KEY MOMENT
The Chargers put up crooked numbers in each of the first four innings, including a four-run third to go up 9-1. Jace Wilkerson opened the inning with a homer, and Wolf tacked on a three-run shot later in the frame.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Left fielder Mateo Pena reached base four times and scored a team-best three runs. Pena finished 2 for 3 with a double and a pair of walks.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Hankins — 1 for 2, home run, two runs, two walks, two RBIs
• Castillo — 2 for 5, home runs, two RBIs
• Chase Mason — 2 for 5, double, home run, two runs, RBI
• Wilkerson — Home run, two runs, two RBIs
• Jose Narvaez — 2 for 3, walk, two runs, RBI
• Kadin Spencer — 3 for 5, run, two RBIs
• Wolf — 2 for 5, home run, four RBIs

UP NEXT
6 p.m. Monday at Heartland 

Get text/email notifications of Sandburg Athletics results
Follow @SandburgNJCAA on Twitter
Like @sandburgchargers on Facebook
Follow @sandburgchargers on Instagram