JWCC splits pair of Region 24 tournament games, faces ICC with chance to advance
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The John Wood Community College baseball team put itself in position to advance in the Region 24 Tournament by upsetting third-seeded Lincoln Land Community College 11-3 to start postseason play Friday.
The Trail Blazers then suffered a 5-4 loss in 12 innings to Illinois Central College.
JWCC (26-30) and ICC (24-33) meet at 11 a.m. Saturday at Claude Kracik Field on the Lincoln Land campus in the Region 24 Pod C championship.
Kevin Martinez earned the victory against Lincoln Land. The right-handed starter surrendered seven hits and three runs over six innings, striking out six and walking four. He was backed by an offense that got rolling with Garrett Meyer’s solo home run in the third inning.
Meyer and Payton Mansfield each drove in two runs, while Ben Kasparie and Haidyn McGill each scored twice for the Trail Blazers.
Against ICC, JWCC’s Blake Bunch, Byron Blaise and Mansfield each had two hits, while the Cougars forced extra innings by scoring one run in the bottom of the ninth and won it with a run in the bottom of the 12th.
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