Best, Barham Pitch Gems in Chargers’ Split Against Braves

GALESBURG — Connor Best and Jack Barham allowed just four total hits on the afternoon, but the Carl Sandburg College baseball team was kept off the board in Game 2 as the Chargers split an Arrowhead Conference doubleheader against Black Hawk on Tuesday at the Hungate Baseball/Softball Complex.

GAME 1
Sandburg 12, Black Hawk 0 (5 innings)
Black Hawk     000      00        —        0          1          0
Sandburg         007      05        —        12        9          0
W: Connor Best 5 IP, 3 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Bryce Brown's two-home run opened the scoring and sparked a seven-run third inning for the Chargers. Seven straight Sandburg batters reached with one out and scored in the outburst. Logan Van Heuklon added an RBI single, and Payton Hankins drove in two with a base hit before Frank Kelch swatted a two-run homer.
• The Chargers tacked on five more in the fifth to end the game via the mercy rule. Brown drew a bases-loaded walk before Jack Shields walked it off with a grand slam to left.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Pitching on three days' rest, Connor Best hurled a one-hitter and retired the last 10 batters in order. Best allowed a leadoff single to start the game, but the only other Braves to reach base after that were back-to-back hit batters in the second. Best struck out three, didn't issue a walk and needed just 44 pitches (33 strikes) to complete five innings.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Brown — 1 for 3, walk, home run, two runs, three RBIs
• Shields — 3 for 3, grand slam, two runs
• Kelch — 1 for 2, home run, two runs, two RBIs

GAME 2
Black Hawk 3, Sandburg 0
Black Hawk     000      010      2          —        3          3          0
Sandburg         000      000      0          —        0          2          3
L: Jack Barham 7 IP, 7 K, 1 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• With the game scoreless into the fifth, Black Hawk rallied with two away to take the lead. A walk, stolen base and two-strike check swing that didn't go the Chargers way preceded a full-count base hit to left — the first hit allowed by Barham — that brought in the game's first run.
• A pair of one-out singles and a Chargers error loaded the bases for the Braves in the top of the seventh. Sandburg got an out at second on a fielder's choice, but an error trying to complete the double play led to two runs coming across.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Barham was dealt a tough-luck loss despite taking a no-hitter into the fifth and allowing just three hits (all singles). The sophomore went all seven innings, struck out seven and issued only one walk.

UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
2 p.m. Saturday at Elgin 

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