NJCAA REGION 4, DIVISION 1 BASEBALL TOURNAMENT (double elimination)

KOUGARS 10     Olive Harvey 0 (5 innings)

KOUGARS 4       Triton College 6 

May 11, 2023- The Kishwaukee College Baseball team travelled to River Grove Thursday as the NJCAA Region 4, Division I tournament moved to #1 seed Triton College.  Kishwaukee, who had lost to #2 seed South Suburban on Wednesday to open the double elimination tourney, had the early game against Olive Harvey College.  Kish would score in each of the first three innings on the way to a 10-0 run rule victory in five innings.  Gavin Gallagher went all five on the mound giving up just one hit and striking out 8 to earn the victory.  Teammates Jack Ryan (3 hits, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Tyler Jacobsen (2 runs, RBI), Blake Novinsky (2 runs, 3 RBI), Forrest Gerber (run), and Isaac Rivera (2 RBI) each had multiple hits for the Kougars.  Gabriel Lopez (2 RBI), Anthony Immordino (2 runs) and Trevor Delporte (run) aided the offensive attack for Kish.

With the win, Kish would take on #1 seed Triton, after they had lost earlier in the day to South Suburban College, to see who would get to the championship round and take on SSC. Starting pitcher Ryan Adamik would keep the Trojans off balance for six innings.  However, Triton would score four in their home half of the second inning, but the Kougars would fight back throughout the rest of the game as they tallied 2 runs in the top of the third inning. Immordino led off the inning by getting hit by the pitch.  Jacobsen would double to center to plate Immordino.  Novinsky would follow with a single to advance Jacobsen to third while Lopez doubled to right scoring Jacobsen, but Novinsky would be out at home trying to score on a close play. Triton would add a run in the fourth and fifth innings to go up 6-2 but Kish would not waiver and battle in the seventh stranding the bases loaded.  They broke through in the eighth scoring two runs to draw closer 6-4.  Ryan would lead off the eighth with a walk followed by Raclawski getting hit by a pitch.  Gerber drew another walk to load the bases again for the Kougars. Then with a 1 and 1 count, Delporte singled to right driving in Ryan and Raclawski.  In the ninth, Evan Hill, who pitched 3 innings of unearned runs in relief, kept Triton close getting out of a first and second mini jam.  Kishwaukee would continue to hit the ball hard in the top of the ninth but would be held off as two-line drives were caught by the Trojan outfielders on good defensive plays to fall 6-4 as the final score.  

Kougars sophomores, Tyler Jacobsen, Tyler Potter, Isaac Rivera, Blake Novinsky, Collin Quandee, Jack Ryan, and Gavin Gallagher all had stellar days and seasons for Kish and Kishwaukee Athletics and Kishwaukee College thank them for all their hard work this season and their career!