To start the 2025 NJCAA Region 4 playoffs, #2 seed College of Dupage hosted #No.3 seed Oakton Community College. COD’s batters started hot by going up 5-0 after the first four innings. When COD had to call to their bullpen, the game fell apart by letting up 16 unanswered runs, making their championship run so much harder.
With a UIC scout in attendance, Jason Sullivan took the mound for COD.
Sullivan got the first out by fooling the batter with an inside curveball, resulting in a strikeout. Oakton got a runner on after an error. Sullivan got a groundball to second for a possible double play. AJ Fulscher flipped it to Chaltin at second for the force, but Chaltin threw the ball into Oakton’s dugout to put the batter at second with one out. Sullivan got out of the inning soft chopper right back to him.
Collin Slivka started on the bump for Oakton.
Matt McBrien was the first at bat for COD. McBrien got thrown out at second on a steal attempt. Chaltin hit a hard groundball up the middle that kicked off the pitcher’s leg for a base hit for Chaltin. Cullen Kleinsasser struck out to end the inning.
Tyler Heath led off for the Owls with an infield single and got to second after a sacrifice bunt by Jordan Vazquez. Sullivan got out of the inning after a strikeout and a flyball to right.
Joe Pender led off the bottom of the second with a double that found the opposite field gap. Sullivan, Anthony Titone and Matthew Betancourt all struck out to end the inning.
Dylan Holmes got hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the third, but Sullivan got out with no damage done.
McBrien smoked a single into right field and Fulscher got walked to put runners on first and second with two outs. Kleinsasser hit a hard slicing line drive into left field that landed fair and brought home McBrien and Fulscher for the first runs of the game, giving COD a 2-0 lead. The inning ended after Sullivan grounded out into a fielder’s choice.
Sullivan got out of the top of the fourth quickly with no damage.
Titone led off the bottom half of the fourth with a soft blooper into the center. Betancourt followed with a single. Michael Morgan struck out, McBrien walked and Fulscher lined out to third. With two outs and bases loaded, Chaltin had a chance to break the game wide open. Chaltin turned on an inside fastball and launched it over the left fielder’s head for a three-run triple to push the DuPage lead to 5-0. The inning ended after Kleinsasser grounded out.
Oakton got on the board in the top of the fifth after Kyle Smith hit a grounder past Kleinsasser at first for an RBI single, the runners got on by walks. Rickey Collazo hit a two-run home run to add two more for Oakton. Sullivan got out of the inning by getting Heath to ground out.
Rafael Valdez came in to the game to replace Slivka.
Titone and Betancourt struck out, and Morgan grounded out to make it a short bottom of the fifth
Oakton tied the game in the top of the sixth (5-5) after an infield single that had a runner on second who made a run for it when the pitcher moved.
COD went three up and three down in the bottom of the sixth.
Michael Tuman came in to relieve Sullivan.
Tuman walked his first batter on four pitches. Buttaci got on base after a bunt error by Tuman, to put runners on first and second with no outs. Collazo came to bat with a two-run home run already under his belt this game. Collazo laid down a bunt that was gathered by Tuman and thrown into right field to bring home both runners on and to put Collazo at second. This left Oakton with a 5-8 lead.
Alex Ingram came in for Tuman. Oakton added another one from a sac fly.
Oakton added eight runs in the top of the eighth to go up 5-16 to make it 16 unanswered runs for the Owls. DuPage was scoreless for the rest of the game to make the final 15-6 in favor of Oakton.
COD would have to face Waubonsie College the next day, which was their last hope to bring home the trophy two years in a row.
DuPage went on to beat Waubonsie. Soon after they had to face Oakton again, which unfortunately ended the same way as the first time. Oakton beat COD 11-3 to end COD’s season.
