Monday, April 19 Roundup

 

By Drake Skleba

 

In Catholic League action on Monday, Catholic White leaders No.4 St. Laurence (16-1; 5-0) and De La Salle (9-3; 4-0) continue to roll. St. Laurence junior lefty Kyle Wood fired a complete-game shutout, striking out nine as the Vikings blanked Fenwick 8-0 in a White Division clash in River Forest. Wood had two hits and two RBIs to help his cause…..De La Salle kept pace with St. Laurence with a 9-2 Catholic White win over Bishop McNamara.

 

In the Catholic Blue, No. 9 St. Rita and Brother Rice kept pace with front-running No. 11 Providence (13-4;5-0)…..St. Rita (15-4;4-1) defeated Leo 10-4. NIU-bound Anthony Andres homered and drove in three to lead the Mustangs….Brother Rice (12-5; 4-1) whipped Loyola in a big Catholic Blue battle, defeating the Ramblers 8-2 behind a complete-game performance from sophomore RHP Ryan Koziol (4-0).

 

In the Cornbelt Conference, Olympia’s (16-4; 5-0) senior RHP Clint Stroud fired a complete-game two-hitter, striking out four as the Spartans defeated Normal U-High 7-1. The Spartans have a big Cornbelt showdown with Bloomington Central Catholic (10-4; 1-1) in Bloomington today at 4:30.

 

In the DuPage Valley Conference, No. 18 Naperville North (12-2; 3-1) Oakton C.C

recruit RHP Kyle Klosak led the Huskies to an 8-3 win over West Aurora on Monday. Klosak fired six shutout innings, allowing a pair of hits and striking out seven Blackhawk hitters in picking up the win and improving to 3-1 on the season……Glenbard North (9-5; 2-2) used a six-run eighth inning to roll past Wheaton North 7-1 on Monday…Wheaton North falls to 12-3; 3-1 DVC.

 

In the Interstate 8 South, Herscher (12-4; 5-0) blanked Reed-Custer 4-0 behind junior RHP Justin Wolter (4-0), who fired a two-hit shutout and fanned a dozen Comet hitters.

 

In the I-8 North, Coal City and Lisle kept rolling on Monday.  Coal City (11-6; 5-0) received a six-hit shutout from junior RHP Billy McMillan (3-2) as the Coalers smoked Sandwich 7-0…..Lisle’s senior RHP Jon Kolosky improved to 5-1 on the mound and drove home three runs as the Lions hammered Seneca 16-6. Red-hot junior 3B Nick Thome drove in three Lion runs as well.

 

In the Mid-Illini Conference, Morton’s sophomore lefty Will Headean pitched the Potters into a first place tie as Morton (8-5; 4-1) whipped Limestone 6-1. Headean fired five no-hit innings in relief to pick up the win. The hard-throwing sophomore struck out eight and improved to 3-1 on the season…Limestone fell to 11-4 overall; 3-2 in the Mid-Illini. Mid-Illini co-leader East Peoria (5-10; 4-1) fell to Dunlap 3-2 on Monday…

 

In the Mid-Suburban League East, Hersey (10-3; 2-1) and Prospect (8-4; 2-1) both won on Monday heading into their showdown at Prospect on Wednesday. Hersey defeated Wheeling 8-1 behind a complete game four-hitter from Steve Danielak, who improved to 5-0 on the season with the win…..Prospect defeated Rolling Meadows in eight thrilling innings 12-11 on a game-ending two-run bomb by senior Peter Bonahoom in Mt. Prospect.

 

In a battle for the top spot in the MSL West, surprising Hoffman Estates (7-8; 3-0) defeated Palatine 10-9. Palatine falls to 9-7; 2-1 in the MSL West

 

In a battle of NCIC divisional leaders, Streator (13-4; 4-0), behind junior OF Dylan Grabowski, defeated IVC 10-6 on Monday. Grabowski hammered a grand slam and a three-run bomb to lead the Bulldogs past IVC (15-4; 4-0) and its University of Illinois-bound RHP Drasen Johnson.

 

In the Chicago Public League, Jackie Robinson South Simeon (14-4;7-0) moved closer to running the table with a 14-4 five-inning win over Brooks. The Wolverines were led by their lone senior Charles Aldridge, who had two hits, including a triple and drove in five big runs on the day. Sophomore lefty Shane Brown took care of matters on the mound, allowing just two hits and fanning six. Quintin Richardson had three hits and three RBIs and Malik Simmons chipped in with a pair of hits and RBIs as the red-hot Wolverines continue to roll.

 

No.1 Harrisburg (23-0; 7-0) rolled past Herrin 5-0 as senior RHP Reid Roper (6-0) fired four innings of shutout baseball to improve to 6-0 on the mound. SIU-Bound Kollin Dowdy gave Roper all the runs he would need with his fifth homer of the season.

 

Benton (14-3; 5-2) catcher Mark Uhles hit his 10^th homer of ’10 as the Rangers kept pace with top-ranked Harrisburg in the Southern Illinois Ri er-River Conference Ohio Division and defeated West Frankfort 13-9. Sophomore Tyler Leffler picked up the win on the mound and drove in four runs. Sophomore Trey Garrett chipped in with a homer and four RBIs.

 

In the SIRR-Mississippi co-leaders Anna-Jonesboro (14-4; 5-2) and Nashville (15-4; 5-2) both won on Monday. A-J routed Sparta 8-2 behind the big bats of senior David Frank and sophomore Travis Smith. Frank and Smith both had three RBIs for the victorious Wildcats. Nashville romped past Pinckneyville 15-3 as Greg Guest was not a good one, as Guest hammered a pair of home runs and drove in four during the Hornet road win at Pinckneyville. The two SIRR-Mississippi leaders meet today, in Nashville, for the division lead.

 

In the Suburban Christian Blue, Marian Central Catholic (11-2; 5-0) stayed perfect with a 2-1 win over Marmion (6-6; 2-2). Senior LHP Dave Luczak fired a complete game to improve to 2-1 on the season.

 

In a battle for the Suburban Christian Conference Gold top spot, Immaculate Conception (13-7; 5-2) defeated Aurora Christian 6-4 on Monday. I-C was led by their senior RHP Matt McMahon (3-1), who fired a complete game six-hitter with 11 Ks. McMahon had two hits and an RBI to help his own cause. Junior catcher Jose Godinez had a pair of hits, including a double and drove in a pair of Knight runs. Senior SS Steve Maloney chipped in with an RBI single for the Knights. Aurora Christian (10-5; 4-3) was led by senior Josh Haugen and sophomore Jake Hansen. Haugen and Hansen each had two hits, including a double and plated an Eagle run. Senior Bobby Kutzendorf (3-1) suffered his first loss on the mound for the Eagles. Kutzendorf doubled home a run for Aurora Christian, who will host the huge rematch in Aurora today at 4:30.

 

In the Upstate 8, Waubonsie Valley (6-7; 4-3) crushed Streamwood 10-3. Waubonsie Valley 6-foot-1 RHP Sean Smith (2-1) lost his no-hit bid with two outs in the seventh and finished with a two-hitter with 12 strikeouts. Smith hammered three doubles on the day as well and was helped out by senior second baseman Eric Sousanes who had four hits and drove in a pair for the Warriors. Defending champion Neuqua Valley (8-4; 5-2) defeated No.20 St. Charles North 5-2….Neuqua Valley senior RHP Kevin Clendening outdueled STC North senior RHP Kevin Borst (2-2). Neuqua Valley’s Creighton-bound Mike Gerber had two hits, including an RBI single that gave the Wildcats the lead for good at 3-2…..St. Charles East (11-4; 5-2) slipped past Larkin 7-6…

 

No. 16 Moline was forced by the IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman to forfeit 10 of the Maroons’ victories this season due to the playing of Davenport (Ia.) Assumption-transfer senior Ben Wolfe. Hickman ruled that the Wolfe transfer violated two IHSA by-laws pertaing to transfers.

 

Moline’s Western Big Six sweep of United Township has been forfeited thus the Maroons 3-1 WB6 record will fall to 1-3 and the Maroons overall mark will be 3-12 instead of  13-2.