VERONA, Wis. – The Edgewood College baseball team achieved their first four game winning streak and won their 27th and 28th straight games over Maranatha Baptist University with a pair of 8-3 and 4-3 victories at Stampfl Field. Game two wasn't without some tense moments as the Sabercats tied the game with a three-run home run in the seventh, before Callen Gavic delivered a walk-off single to win the game.
Edgewood College (11-13) seemed to be cruising to a win in game two. The Eagles picked up single runs in each of the first three innings. Zack Creekmore drove in his 31st run of the season with a first inning sacrifice fly and Jeff Tucker singled and eventually scored on a wild pitch in the second. In the third inning Gavic drove a ball through the right side of the infield to bring home Creekmore for a 3-0 lead.
On the mound, Blake Bieri had thrown three perfect innings and Elijah Roche and Alex Meister had kept the shutout intact heading in the seventh and final inning. However, Cody Borland and Tim Rogers both singled for Maranatha Baptist (3-9) to put two runners aboard with nobody out. Then Micah Burdett launched a three-run blast off the scoreboard in left field to tie the game at 3-3 and force the Eagles to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Brodie Engel got the winning rally started be drawing a walk and Alex Fowler was hit by a pitch. The next batter, Jacob Yellovich also walked to load the bases with nobody out. After a pitching change, Sabercats pitcher Micah Shepard recorded a strikeout and flyout to nearly escape the jam. But Gavic drove an 0-1 pitch down the line, past a diving first baseman to bring home Engel and end the game.
Gavic went 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs driven in. Carlos Herrera also went 2-for-3 in the game, while Engel scored two of the Eagles four runs and had a stolen base. Erick Wendt ended up getting the win for the Eagles by pitching the seventh inning and improved to 3-1.
In the opening game, starting pitchers Jordan Garrison of Maranatha Baptist and AJ Weedon of Edgewood College kept the game scoreless for the first three innings. The Eagles finally broke through in the fourth. Gavic doubled with one out and Yellovich drove him in with a single. Three batters later, Engel brought home Yellovich with a single to center field.
In the fifth, Gavic plated another run with a sacrifice fly, and Yellovich came through again with a two-run single to right field. Maranatha scored twice in the sixth to cut the Eagles led to 5-2, but three more runs for Edgewood College in the bottom of the sixth closed the door. Creekmore had an RBI triple and Nick Cheaney drove home another run with a single.
AJ Weedon picked up his first career victory by pitching five innings of shutout ball, allowing just one hit while striking out two Sabercats. Yellovich went 2-for-4 with a career-high three runs batted in. Creekmore was also 2-for-4 and extended his streak of reaching base to 22 consecutive games, which four short of the program record of 26 held jointly by Travis Krahn (2004) and Shawn Burcum (2006). Alex Fowler and Lehner each had a double for the Eagles.
Edgewood College will be at home again on Saturday to host NACC co-leader Benedictine University in a big NACC doubleheader. Saturday's games start at 12:00 p.m. at Stampfl Field.
