Collins, Jones Deliver Walk-Off HRs for Chargers in Sweep of Oakton
Aaron Frey
Monday, May 3, 2021 10:36 AM
Athletics
Galesburg, IL
Abe Collins (Morton, Ill./Morton) and Luke Jones (Rantoul, Ill./Rantoul) each delivered tiebreaking walk-off home runs Saturday to help the Carl Sandburg College baseball team sweep a doubleheader against Oakton.
The Chargers then hit the road Sunday to face Kankakee, dropping both ends of a twinbill.
SATURDAY
GAME 1
Sandburg 12, Oakton 10
Oakton 101 024 2 — 10 14 1
Sandburg 203 022 3 — 12 11 4
W: Conner 1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB
Key Moment
The Owls pulled ahead 10-9 with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, but the Chargers refused to go quietly. Ashton Johnson (Brimfield, Ill./Brimfield) led off the bottom of the seventh with a walk and tied the game on Jeron Conner’s (Burlington, Iowa/Notre Dame) one-out double. After a strikeout, Collins hit a two-run walk-off home run to center field.
Sandburg Standout
Collins finished 3 for 4, doubled, homered, scored three times and drove in two runs.
Other Top Chargers
- Ben Higgins (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) 2 for 4, two home runs, three RBIs
- Hunter Darst (Avon, Ill./Abingdon-Avon) 2 for 4, double, run, two RBIs
- Conner 2 for 3, double, run, RBI
GAME 2
Sandburg 10, Oakton 9
Oakton 112 023 0 — 9 13 2
Sandburg 304 101 1 — 10 9 0
W: Conner 1 IP, 0 K, 0 BB
Key Moment
Higgins’ second homer of the game and fourth of the afternoon tied the game at 9-9 in the sixth. Jones sent the Chargers home happy with a one-out homer to left in the bottom of the seventh.
Sandburg Standout
Higgins went 3 for 4 with two homers, a double three runs scored and two driven in. He racked up 20 total bases in the doubleheader.
Other Top Chargers
- Darst 2 for 2, two home runs, walk, three RBIs
- Jones 2 for 4, home run
SUNDAY
GAME 1
Kankakee 9, Sandburg 4
Sandburg 001 002 1 — 4 8 1
Kankakee 300 411 x — 9 11 0
L: Israel 5 IP, 9 K, 3 BB
Key Moment
Three hits, a walk and a hit batsman led to three first-inning runs for the Cavaliers, who never trailed.
Sandburg Standout
Higgins went 2 for 4 with a double, run scored and RBI.
Other Top Chargers
- Brett Macak (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) three walks, run scored
GAME 2
Kankakee 14, Sandburg 4 (5 innings)
Sandburg 000 22 — 4 5 0
Kankakee 304 7x — 14 10 3
L: C. Scott 3 IP, 2 K, 3 BB
Key Moment
Kankakee connected for back-to-back solo home runs in the first inning as part of a three-run frame.
UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
6 p.m. Wednesday at Illinois Central
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