Chargers Bow Out of Region IV Sectional With Pair of Losses

KANKAKEE — A late home run and a big first inning added up to a pair of losses for the Carl Sandburg College baseball team Friday as the Chargers were eliminated from the Region IV Division II sectional.

Sandburg, the fifth seed in the region, suffered a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to No. 9 Highland before falling 8-5 against No. 4 seed Kankakee to be eliminated from the three-team tournament. The Chargers finished the season with a 25-28 record.

Kankakee and Highland will play Saturday to decide the sectional winner.

GAME 1
No. 9 Highland 7, No. 5 Sandburg 6
Highland          300      020      002      —        7          11        3
Sandburg         200      101      020      —        6          9          0
L: Charlie Shissler 0.2 IP, 0 K, 1 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• The Chargers trailed 5-3 after five innings and 5-4 into the bottom of the eighth before scoring a pair of runs for their first lead of the ballgame. Hunter Caves and Jaden Coleman singled to lead off the inning to put runners at the corners. With one out, Coleman stole second, and he and Caves both moved up on an error on the play, tying the game. Freeman put Sandburg up 6-5 as he came home on Bryce Brown's flyout to center field.
• Sandburg was an out away from victory, but Highland's Felix Polanco hit a two-run home run to put the Cougars back on top 7-6.
• The Chargers put two runners on in the bottom of the ninth as Jack Shields led off with a single and Payton Hankins drew a two-out walk. Shields pushed the tying run to third on a wild pitch, but Hunter Caves grounded to third to end the game.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Coleman, the designated hitter, singled twice in three at-bats, walked, scored two runs and stole three bases.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Brown — 2 for 3, walk, run, two RBIs
• Caves — 2 for 5, run

GAME 2
No. 4 Kankakee 8, No. 5 Sandburg 5
Sandburg         001      004      000      —        5          13        4
Kankakee        401      020      01x      —        8          12        1
L: David Smith 5 IP, 6 K, 2 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• The host Cavaliers jumped to an early lead on the strength of four two-out runs in the first inning. A single, error and walk loaded the bases with two gone before three consecutive singles put Kankakee up 4-0.
• The Chargers trailed 7-1 before getting back in the game with a four-run sixth. Hankins doubled home Logan Van Heuklon, who opened the inning with a two-bagger, and Hunter Caves singled in Hankins with a hit to left. With two out and the bases loaded, Brown doubled to right, bringing in two and pulling the Chargers within 7-5.
• After an eighth-inning insurance run for Kankakee made it 8-5, Sandburg brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Shields and Van Heuklon each singled to start the inning, but the next three batters went down on strikes. 

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Hankins reached base three times as he went 2 for 4 with a double, a walk, a run scored and an RBI.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Brown — 2 for 5, double, two RBIs, stolen base
• Shields — 2 for 5, RBI
• Van Heuklon — 2 for 5, double, run
• Caves — 2 for 5, run, RBI, stolen base 

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