PALATINE, Ill – It's been a busy week for the Harper College baseball team as the Hawks wrapped up regular season conference play. The Hawks played eight road games in the past week, winning three of those contests.

Harper College at Triton College

On Tuesday, April 21, Harper traveled to Triton for an N4C doubleheader. Things seemed bleak after a 17-2 defeat in game one, but the Hawks rebounded for a 6-5 triumph in game two over the Trojans.

In game one, Kevin Conrad (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot) and Chuck Terron (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) were the lone bright spots offensively. Conrad was 1-for-2 and smacked his first homer of 2015 while Terron went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Triton amassed 17 hits, including seven doubles and a triple, in just four innings at the plate.

Locked in a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning of game two, the Hawks got the go-ahead RBI single from Riley Halter (South Elgin, Ill. /South Elgin) as well as RBI base hits from Tyler Crussen (Wheeler, Ind. /Wheeler) and Chuck Terron (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) to take a 6-3 lead. Trailing 6-4 with two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the seventh, Triton's Danny Hernandez singled up the middle, scoring Trayvon Johnson. Crussen fielded the ball, threw to Halter, and Halter threw out Trojans' Matt Sturchio at the plate to end the game.

Chris Simon (La Grange, Ill./Marmion Academy) (1-0) pitched four innings of relief for the victory. Harper tallied 12 hits in the game, including two apiece from Crussen, Terron, Matt Hayes (Princeton, Ill./Princeton ), and Billy Chandler (Buffalo Grove, Ill. /Buffalo Grove).

Harper College at Waubonsee Community College

The Hawks and Chiefs remained tied 1-1 after seven completed innings of game one before Harper's Kevin Conrad (Twin Lakes, Wis./Wilmot) (2-for-4) broke the tie with a two-out RBI single in the eighth inning. Harper, however, could not hold the lead as PJ Holbrook's walk-off two-run double off Austin Royse (Elgin, Ill./Larkin) (0-2) gave Waubonsee the 3-2 win.

Brad Demmon (Schaumburg, Ill. /Hoffman Estates) got the no decision on the mound for the Hawks, giving up an unearned run in seven innings of work. Colin Eggelson picked up the win in relief for the Chiefs.

Trailing 2-0 into the fifth inning of the second game, Harper plated four runs in the inning to take the lead. Chandler's two-run base hit tied the game, and Crussen's RBI single scored Chandler.

Waubonsee scratched across a run in the bottom of the seventh, but Simon closed the door by striking out the Chiefs' Isaiah Spencer with two runners on to give the Hawks a 4-3 victory.

Nate Paprota (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield Central) (4-3) was credited with the win as he gave up a run in 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. The Chiefs starter Chris Hawks was saddled with the loss.

Harper College at Milwaukee Area Technical College

The Hawks traveled to Milwaukee for an N4C doubleheader with the Stormers. Harper had trouble offensively in game one, only managing two hits (Crussen and Terron) the entire game off Lucas Keller. Keller went the distance and struck out six Harper batters in a 7-0 Milwaukee win.

Matt Ittersagen (Wheeler, Ind./Wheeler) (2-5) yielded three earned runs in five innings in a losing effort.

Much like what happened against Triton on Tuesday and Waubonsee on Friday, the Hawks bounced back with an impressive game two victory, 8-2. Leading 1-0, Harper busted the game open with a seven-run sixth inning.

After Roy Pettingill (Mount Prospect, Ill. /St. Viator) singled home Jake Miller (Valparaiso, Ind. /Valparaiso ), Conrad cranked a three-run home run to give the Hawks a 5-0 edge. Harper went on score three more times in the inning, and starting pitcher Brandon Kaminski (Joliet, Ill./Joliet Catholic ) kept the Stormer offense in check the rest of the way to preserve the win. Kaminski improved to 2-4 on the year with a complete game effort.The Hawks had multi-hit games from Conrad, Pettingill, Terron, and Crussen.

Harper College at College of DuPage

Crussen led the Harper offense with a 3-for-3 effort in game one against the Chapparals, but it wasn't enough as the Hawks lost 4-1. Terron (2-for-3) and Ryan Nudd (South Elgin, Ill./St. Edwards) (1-for-2) were the only other Harper batters with hits in the game as Austen Kapusinksi (4-0) pitched a complete game.

Paprota (4-4) threw six innings of four-run ball and was tagged with the loss.

The Hawks' offensive woes continued in game two, a 6-1 loss. Crussen doubled to lead off the game and later scored, but Harper managed just one hit the rest of the way and combined to go 2-for-22 as a team.

The Hawks committed five costly errors in the field. Starting pitcher Royse allowed four runs, one earned, in four innings of work and dropped to 0-3 on the season.  

Looking Ahead

The Hawks currently stand at 10-27 overall and finish the conference slate with a 6-18 record. This week they play at Elgin Community College on Thursday and home against Elgin on Friday before playing a home doubleheader on Saturday against Moraine Valley Community College (Palatine Youth Baseball Day).

Next week, Harper plays their final two regular season games. The team plays at North Central College on Monday and at Oakton Community College on Wednesday.

Playoffs start with the Region IV Sectionals on May 9 and 10. The Region IV Finals will be played in Schaumburg at Boomers Stadium May 15-17.