BELLEVILLE, Ill. -- A series-saving rally to win the first game led to a series-clinching romp in the second game of a doubleheader sweep by top-ranked Wabash Valley on Saturday.
After dropping a 12-8 game to Southwest in Mt. Carmel on Thursday in the first game of their final Great Rivers Athletic Conference series of the season, it took a five-run eighth inning rally to push the Warriors to an 8-7 victory in the first game of the follow-up twinbill in Belleville, squaring the series. With the rubber game left, the Warriors jumped to a 10-0 lead and coasted to a 21-5 victory.
The sweep allowed WVC to finish with a 46-10 regular-season mark, 27-3 and in GRAC play. It also means Aaron Biddle's team will carry some momentum into post-season play, which begins with the NJCAA Region 24 tournament this week.
Trailing 6-3 after seven innings of the opener, a first series loss of the year was a distinct possibility. But after the first two Warrior batters were walked, Daniel Contreras delivered an RBI hit to make it 6-4. Keaton Mahan followed with a sacrifice fly to bring in another run. Then, Luke Odden drove in two runs, including the go ahead, with a line drive triple to make it 7-6. Nicklas Williams finished the turnaround with a double that brought home what became the winning run to make it 8-6.
Williams finished the day with two RBIs to hike his team-leading total to 75.
Southwestern scored one run in the bottom of the ninth, but Luke Leverton came on to record the final two outs and earn his fifth save of the year. Cade Schneider, who preceded Leverton, was the fourth hurler used by Biddle, and was the pitcher of record when the Warriors staged the rally. He picked up the win to improve to 1-1 on the year.
In the nitecap, Wabash Valley scored five runs in the first inning and three more in the second to take control early. That made a winner out of starter Louis Phillipe Langevin, who went 3 1/3 innings to move to 6-1 on the season.
Five different Warriors had two hits to lead the way in the 16-hit attack. Jorge Rodriguez and Patrick Graham paced the RBI count with three each.
Southwestern (41-14, 21-9) used nine pitchers in the second game.
The Warriors had already clinched the top seed in Region 24, which means they will host one of two four-team, double-elimination tournaments beginning Thursday. John A. Logan edged past Southwestern to earn the No. 2 seed and the second host slot. So, the Blue Storm will end up at Logan, and not at home for the opening weekend of the post season.