Wilkerson homers as Chargers split with Sauk Valley in 1st conference doubleheader

GALESBURG — After dropping a pair of contests Friday at Rock Valley, the Sandburg baseball came home Saturday and split a doubleheader with Sauk Valley to open the Chargers' Arrowhead Conference schedule.

FRIDAY
Game 1
Rock Valley 5, Sandburg 3
Sandburg      010     200     0          —        3          4          1
Rock Valley   020     111     x          —        5          7          1
L-Dhane McCormick 3 IP, 0 K, 1 BB

Key moments
• Down 2-1 in the fourth, Jace Wilkerson led off with a hit and tied the game on Josh Morales' double to right field. Morales then scored as Jose Narvaez's sacrifice turned into a Rock Valley error.
• The host Golden Eagles tied the game and regained the lead with single runs in each of the next three innings. Rock Valley evened the scored with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and went ahead on Christian McGrath's two-out homer to center in the fifth.

Sandburg standout
Wilkerson homered as part of a 2-for-3 effort at the plate. His longball to center in the second provided the first runs of the game and was his second home run of the season.

Game 2
Rock Valley 12, Sandburg 1 (5 innings)
Sandburg      100     00       —        1          2          2
Rock Valley   336     0x        —        12       9          0
L-Yasiel Trinidad 2 IP, 2 K, 5 BB

Key moment
Colton Allen drew a bases-loaded walk with one out in the first, but Rock Valley scored three in the first, three in the second and six in the third to put the game out of reach early.

Sandburg standout
Ayden Mendoza fired a scoreless inning of work out of the bullpen. He hit the first batter he faced before retiring the next three in order, including an inning-ending strikeout.

SATURDAY
Game 1
Sandburg 8, Sauk Valley 4
Sauk Valley   000     012     1          —        4          5          5
Sandburg      220     013     x          —        8          11       0
W-Ethan Krei 4 IP, 3 K, 3 BB
Sv-Trinidad 1 IP, 1K, 2 BB

Key moments
• Sandburg scored twice in the first and second innings to stake itself to an early 4-0 lead. Wilkerson delivered an RBI triple in the first, and Derek Cintron's base hit in the second scored Yasiel Trinidad for a 4-0 advantage.
• The Skyhawks climbed within 5-3 after the top of the sixth, but a run-scoring wild pitch followed by a Wilkerson two-run homer to left gave the Chargers some insurance.

Sandburg standout
Wilkerson went 2 for 4 and scored twice, with both of his hits going for extra bases. The East Peoria product finished with three RBIs in the victory.

Other top Chargers
• Cintron — 3 for 4, double, two runs, RBI
• Brady Veselack — 2 for 3, stolen base

Game 2
Sauk Valley 8, Sandburg 1
Sauk Valley   022     013     0          —        8          14       1
Sandburg      000     000     1          —        1          6          0
L-Wilkerson 3 IP, 5 K, 4 BB

Key moment
Sauk Valley didn't look back after scoring twice in the second and twice more in the third to take a 4-0 lead.

Sandburg standout
Trinidad went 2 for 3 and scored the Chargers' lone run in the loss. He tripled with one out in the seventh and scored on a wild pitch.

Other top Chargers
• Allen — 2 for 3

SCHEDULE UPDATE
Sandburg's game scheduled for today at Parkland has been postponed. A makeup date has yet to be announced. The Chargers and Sauk Valley will finish their Arrowhead Conference series at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Dixon. 

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