Kleinhans’ Huge Game 2 Sends Chargers to Sweep of Sauk Valley

GALESBURG — Michael Kleinhans' career-best performance in Game 2 helped the Carl Sandburg College baseball team to an Arrowhead Conference sweep of Sauk Valley on Saturday at the Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex. The victories came after the Chargers dropped two games Friday at 14^th-ranked McHenry County.

FRIDAY
GAME 1
No. 14 McHenry County 5, Sandburg 1
Sandburg         000      001      0          —        1          4          2
McHenry Co.   000      212      x          —        5          10        0
L: Connor Best 5.2 IP, 9 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENT
The game remained scoreless until two out in the bottom of the fourth, when the Scots strung together three consecutive singles before a double that plated two.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Connor Best pitched well despite taking the loss. The sophomore allowed three earned runs on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out nine and didn't issue a walk. It marked Best's third straight outing with at least nine Ks.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Jack Shields — 2 for 3, two doubles, RBI

GAME 2
No. 14 McHenry County 7, Sandburg 4
Sandburg         100      102      0          —        4          6          3
McHenry Co.   051      100      x          —        7          8          0
L: Jack Barham 3 IP, 2 K, 3 BB

KEY MOMENT
McHenry County used three singles, a walk and three Chargers errors to push across five runs in the second and take a 5-1 lead.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Shilelds hit a solo home run as part of a 2-for-3 effort. The sophomore third baseman scored twice and drove in one.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Logan Korte — 2 for 3, double, two RBIs

SATURDAY
GAME 1
Sandburg 4, Sauk Valley 3
Sauk Valley      120      000      0          —        3          7          0
Sandburg         010      201      x          —        4          6          1
W: David Smith 7 IP, 10 K, 2 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Down 3-1 in the fourth, Korte knotted things up with a two-run homer to left.
• Still tied at 3 in the sixth, Frank Kelch led off the inning with a double. A groundout moved him to third, and he scored the go-ahead run on a two-out wild pitch.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
David Smith went the distance to collect the victory on the mound. He didn't a allow a run over his final five innings, and only one of his runs allowed in the game was earned. The freshman righthander gave up seven hits, walked two and fanned 10, tying his season high.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Korte — 2 for 3, double, home run, three RBIs

GAME 2
Sandburg 17, Sauk Valley 12
Sauk Valley      051      240      0          —        12        15        0
Sandburg         920      105      x          —        17        15        7
W: Frank Kelch 2 IP, 1 K, 1 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• The Chargers sent 13 batters to the dish in a nine-run first inning — highlighted by home runs from Frank Kelch and Payton Hankins — but the Skyhawks came all the way back, tying the game at 12 with a four-run fifth inning.
• It stayed that way until Korte drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the sixth to bring in the go-ahead run. Hankins followed with a sacrifice fly, and Michael Kleinhans tacked on a three-run homer for a 17-12 Chargers lead.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Kleinhans had season highs of three hits, three runs scored and four RBIs while finishing a triple shy of the cycle. The sixth-inning homer was his first longball of the season.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Bryce Brown — 2 for 3, two doubles, two walks, two runs, two RBIs
• Shields — 2 for 4, two doubles, walk, two runs, two RBIs
• Hankins — 2 for 4, home run, two runs, four RBIs
• Barham — 3 for 5, two runs, RBI
• Kelch — 1 for 3, home run, walk, two runs, three RBIs

UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
10 a.m. Tuesday at Sauk Valley. Due to dugout damage at Sauk Valley's home field, Tuesday's games have been moved to Gartner Park in Sterling. The start time has been moved up to 10 a.m. 

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