Joliet Junior College baseball earned a dominant win Thursday over Waubonsee, 11-2, to begin the NJCAA Division III Region 4 baseball tournament.
The Chiefs struck first in the opening frame on a line drive to left field and then took the Wolves batters out 1-2-3 for an early 1-0 advantage. The Wolves responded in the bottom of the second when
Jaden Jackson singled on a ground ball to push
Zack Tarrant home. A balk by the Chiefs' pitcher advancedÂ
Jose Granados home and Jackson to third before he scored on a
Max Miller sacrifice to make it 3-1.
In the top of the fourth, the Chiefs made it a one-run game when Wolves pitcher
Holden Burokas gave up a home run over the right field wall.Â
In the bottom of the same inning,
Dalton Strode hit a ground ball to third and reached first on an error that saw the Wolves score three runs to take a commanding 6-2 lead. The Wolves never looked back.
The Wolves added three more runs in the bottom of the fifth off a double from Granados and a pair of singles from
Mason Heitzler and Jackson. The sixth saw the hosts add another two runs for the final.
Isaiah Rhodes hit a solo home run and another Chiefs error allowed
Jonny Carrera to score.
Jackson finished the game 3-of-3 at the plate with two RBI's. Granados and Carrera each recorded two hits as the Wolves racked up 11 hits in total.
Burokas pitched all seven innings for the Wolves, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out four and walking two.Â
The Wolves will face either College of DuPage or Oakton College at noon on Friday at Wayne L. King Field.Â
