Chargers Trim Magic Number for Conference Title to 1

GALESBURG — The Carl Sandburg College baseball team trimmed its magic number to clinch the Arrowhead Conference title to one after splitting a doubleheader with Highland on Tuesday at the Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex.

The Chargers (20-16, 15-3) had a chance to take the crown after winning Game 1 on Tuesday, but the Cougars withstood a late Sandburg rally in Game 2. Sandburg has one conference doubleheader remaining, at noon Saturday at Kishwaukee. One Chargers victory (or a loss by Black Hawk in one of the Braves' remaining conference games) would clinch the eighth conference championship in program history. Sandburg can win the title outright with a sweep Saturday.

GAME 1
Sandburg 4, Highland 3
Highland          000      001      2          —        3          8          0
Sandburg         001      201      x          —        4          11        0
W: McKoy Allen 5 IP, 5 K, 0 BB
SV: Chase Mason 1 IP, 2 K, 1 BB

Key Moments
• Caileb Johnson (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield) led off the fourth with a walk and scored from first when Logan Van Heuklon (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap) followed with a double to right. Mitch Ball (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) tripled to the opposite field one batter later to bring in Van Heuklon and extend the Chargers' lead to 3-0.
• The first four runners in the seventh reached safely for Highland as the Cougars trimmed their deficit to 4-3. Highland had the tying run and second and go-ahead run at first before Chase Mason (Washington, Ill./Washington) retired the final three hitters with a pair of strikeouts and a popup to short.

Sandburg Standout
In addition to his RBI triple, Ball led off the bottom of the sixth with a home run to put the Chargers ahead 4-1. The outfielder finished 2 for 3 with a run scored and two driven in.

Other Top Chargers
• Mason — 3 for 4, double, RBI stolen base
• Trenton Blythe (LaHarpe, Ill./Notre Dame) — 2 for 3, run
• McKoy Allen (Rutland, Ill./Fieldcrest) — 5 innings, 0 runs, 5 hits, 5 strikeouts, 0 walks

GAME 2
Highland 9, Sandburg 8
Highland          231      011      1          —        9          8          4
Sandburg         102      021      2          —        8          8          3
L: Jack Barham 2.2 IP, 2 K, 4 BB

Key Moment
Highland never trailed in the contest, leading 2-0 after the top of the first and 5-1 after its half of the second. Ball brought the Chargers within a run in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run homer to right, and Cam Scott (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) followed with a double to put the tying run in scoring position. The Cougars, though, held on as the next two batters were retired on a popout to second and groundout to shortstop.

Sandburg Standout
Ball continued his big afternoon, going 3 for 4 with a walk, double, home run, three runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base.

Other Top Chargers
• Scott — 2 for 5, double

PARKLAND GAME POSTPONED
The Chargers' nine-inning game scheduled for Wednesday vs. Parkland has been postponed. A possible makeup date has yet to be announced.

UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
3 p.m. Thursday vs. Illinois Central (nine innings) 

Get text/email notifications of Sandburg Athletics results
Follow Chargers baseball live with the GameChanger Team Manager app
Follow @SandburgNJCAA on Twitter
Like @SandburgChargers on Facebook
Follow @SandburgChargers on Instagram