Hawks Split with Joliet to Open N4C Play

The Harper College baseball team opened up its conference schedule on Monday with a doubleheader at Joliet Junior College. The Hawks took game one, 5-4, before losing game two to the Wolves, 10-0.

Locked in a 3-3 tie heading into the seventh inning of game one, the Hawks (3-6, 1-1 N4C) scratched across two runs in the seventh inning to take a 5-3 lead. The Wolves (6-13, 1-1 N4C) scored once in bottom half of the inning, but Brandon Kaminski (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic ) shut the door for his first save of the year. Matt Ittersagen (Wheeler, Ind./Wheeler) (2-1) went six innings for the victory.

Harper totaled a season-high 11 hits in the game, including three from leadoff man Tyler Crussen (Wheeler, Ind. /Wheeler). Billy Chandler (Buffalo Grove, Ill. /Buffalo Grove) was 2-for-4 in the game, and Jake Miller (Valparaiso, Ind. /Valparaiso ) went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.

The Hawks’ bats struggled in game two against Joliet starter Thomas Jeffries. Jeffries limited the Hawks to just three hits and struck out four over five scoreless frames. Harper’s Roy Pettingill (Mount Prospect, Ill. /St. Viator) was the only Hawk with a hit, as he was 3-for-3.

Nate Paprota (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) (1-1) yielded six earned runs over four innings. The Wolves’ TJ Condon was 1-for-2 with a home run, two RBIs, three runs scored, and two walks in the win. Ron Sessler was 3-for-4 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs.

The Hawks are back on their home field on Tuesday afternoon as they play host to Madison College (4-8) for a N4C doubleheader. First pitch of game one is set for 2 PM.