April 5 Roundup

 

By Drake Skleba

 

Benton’s Uhles hits 4 home runs to upend Murphysboro: Benton (8-0; 1-0) scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to stun Murphysboro 12-11 in a Southern Illinois River-River-Ohio Division opener in Benton on Monday. Benton’s Mark Uhles had a record-setting day at the plate.Uhles hit four homers and drove in 10 runs in leading the Rangers to their eighth straight win. For Uhles, the four home runs in the game ties a national record. The long-range bombs were Nos. 6-7-8-and 9 for the hard-hitting Ranger catcher. Trey Garrett picks up the win in relief and improves to 3-0 on the season. Monday, April 12 the Rangers invade No. 2 Harrisburg (13-0;1-0) at 4:30.

 

No. 1 Naperville Central rolls past Joliet Catholic, 7-2. A five-run third inning was the difference as the PBRs top-ranked squad defeated the defending Class 3A champs in Joliet on Monday. Naperville Central (5-0) received a clutch two-run double from red-hot senior right-fielder Bobby Czarnowski in the fateful third. Seniors Shane Conlon, Matt Cmiel and Mason Hallett continued their hot hitting with a pair of hits.

 

Junior left-handed pitcher Dan Ludwig (1-0) picked up the win on the mound, striking out nine in five innings of work. The talented junior allowed five hits and did not walk a batter. JCA falls to 2-3 on the campaign.

 

No. 2 Harrisburg (13-0) trounced Massac County 13-0 in the Bulldog’s Southern Illinois River-River-Ohio Division opener at Harrisburg on Monday. Sophomore Ryne Roper, younger brother of this week’s Porsche Player of the Week Reid, was untouchable on the mound for the Bulldogs. Roper allowed one hit and fanned 10 Patriot batters, improving to 3-0 on the mound for 2010.

 

Junior 3B Keelin Rasch was 3-for-3 with a homer and five RBIs to lead the Bulldog assault. Big Brother Reid, senior catcher Noah King, senior 1B Dawson Montfort and junior OF Cain Sheldon all had two hits.

 

Simeon (7-4; 1-0) won their 2010 Jackie Robinson South opener on Monday as the Wolverines defeated Curie 11-7. Wolverine freshman pitcher Marshawn Taylor entered the game in relief in the first inning and went the rest of the way to pick up his first win of the season. Taylor (1-0) allowed a pair of earned runs and fanned 11 Condor batsmen in leading the Wolverines to this big victory.

 

Freshman Darien Clifton had three hits, including a double and a triple and drove in two to key the Wolverine offense. Shane Brown had a pair of hits and four RBIs.Charles Eldridge and Elbert Dunnigan each had two hits and a pair of ribbies for the rampaging Wolverines.

 

Brother Rice put an end to an early-season skid by defeating Brother Rice High School (Mich.) 10-4 at the University of Michigan on Monday. The Crusaders were led by their talented sophomore right-hander Ryan Koziol. Koziol, fanned nine over six innings on the mound, to improve to 3-0. Koziol had three hits and drove in two runs. Sophomore Garrett O’Neill added three hits and drove in a pair to help lead the 6-3 Crusaders over the Warriors of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.

 

No. 14 Belleville West (6-2) rallied to defeat Mascoutah 7-6 in a nonconference game at Mascoutah on Monday. Junior Kane Sweeney doubled and drove home three runs for the Maroons and junior Andrew Wayt had a 4-for-4 day with a double and a pair of RBIs. Senior Bryan Schweppe shut down the Indians in the sixth and seventh to pick up the win. Schweppe picks up his first win of 2010. Sweeney has 13 RBIs for the season.

 

No. 10 St. Charles North rolled to their sixth consecutive win without a defeat, slamming Plainfield Central 9-4. Senior first baseman Mike Butka was 3-for-3 with a couple of RBIs to lead the NorthStar attack. Senior third baseman Kevin Borst continued his torrid hitting with a perfect 2-for-2 day and two RBIs. Right-handed power pitcher Jared Shurtleff improved to 2-0 on the mound with a complete-game victory. Shurtleff fanned 9 Wildcat hitters.

 

Collinsville (8-2) handed previously undefeated Bethalto Civic Memorial its first setback of 2010, 3-2 in Collinsville on Monday. Junior Jake Lewis (1-0) fired a complete game four-hitter for the Cahoks. Junior Collin Throm had a huge two-run single in the Cahoks three-run first inning outburst. Civic Memorial falls to 6-1 after the nonconference loss.

 

No.15 Plainfield North (7-1) defeated Lincoln-Way North 12-9 behind the strong right arm and booming bat of senior Scott Vachon. Vachon fired four shutout innings in relief to improve to 2-0 on the mound. The senior Tiger hammered his third homer of the season, a two-run shot, to lead the Tigers to victory. Vachon allowed two hits and fanned six in his four-inning performance on the mound.

 

Streator’s junior left-handed first baseman Drew Sabol drove in the game-winner in the Bulldogs’ 5-4 nonconference win over Putnam County. The win was the seventh straight for the streaking Bulldogs. Sabol (3-0) has been a force on the mound for Streator this season.Streators’ Zach Gayon (1-0) picked up the win in relief in the Putnam County (6-3) victory. Streator improves to 7-0.

 

Oak Forest (3-2; 1-0) won their South Suburban Blue opener over Lemont 3-1 in Oak Forest. junior Tim Barry and senior Josh Hine drove home runs for the victorious Bengals.

 

No.4 Downers Grove South (8-1) wins a pair. The Mustangs won their West Suburban Conference crossover Monday morning, defeating Hinsdale Central 5-2. Behind seniors right-handed pitcher Jake Rone (4-0) and Miami of Ohio-bound SS Dan Walsh, the Mustangs stopped Wheaton North 8-2 Monday afternoon. Walsh had three hits, including a three-run homer and a double and drove in six for the ‘Stangs. Rone did not allow an earned run while striking out seven and allowing three hits in his five-inning outing on the mound.

 

Hinsdale South (2-4; 1-0) rolled to an easy 14-4 victory over Addison Trail in the Hornets West Suburban Gold opener. Sophomore P.J. Schuster had three hits, including a double, and drove home four for the victorious Hornets.Senior Matt Perez improved to 2-0 on the mound with a complete game performance.

 

Moline (7-1) beat up on a pair of Evansville, Indiana schools on Monday. The Maroons defeated Evansville Harrison 6-4 in eight innings and blanked Evansville Central 7-0. Senior OF Ben Wolfe tied the Harrison game up with a clutch two-out two RBI single in the top of the seventh. Power-hiting sophomore third baseman Tim Wages hit a game-winning sac-fly in the eighth.

 

Sophomore pitcher Drew Marlier (1-0) fired six scoreless innings in the Central whitewash. Wolfe had a 5-for-8 day with three RBIs….Wages had a pair of RBIs in the nightcap.

 

Junior catcher Cory Kay had three hits, including a triple and two RBIs, to lead St. Viator to a 7-1 win over Elmwood Park. Senior right-handed pitcher Julian Sipiora struck out eight in five innings to even his record at 1-1. Junior Lou Cairo added a home run and two RBIs for the 2-2 Lions.

 

No. 19 Providence (6-3) scored four runs in the first inning and never looked back in a 6-2 victory over Benet Academy. Junior Sam Travis continued his red-hot hitting with three hits and an RBI for the Celtics. Junior left-hander Collin McEnery picked up the win on the mound to improve to 1-0. Senior right-hander Jim Boulos fired three scoreless innings in relief of McEnery. Benet Academy (3-3) was led by their talented sophomore first baseman Sam Santa Maria who had two hits, including a two-run double for the Redwings.

 

Lakes Iowa-bound recruit right-hander Nick Hibbing (2-0) fired a complete-game one-hitter, leading the Eagles to a 10-1 win over Grayslake North. Senior Travis Vanderwall had a perfect 3-for-3 day with a double and a pair of RBIs. Junior third baseman Paul Kukulka drove in thee runs with a pair of hits for the 6-2 Eagles.

 

Rich Central improved to 6-1 behind Brandon Fowler as the Olympians smashed Thornridge 15-1.Fowler struck out 13 and allowed one hit in the nonconference blow-out. Fowler added two hits and scored twice for the Olympians. Garrett Spivey chipped in with three hits and had three RBIs on the day.Fowler, with the win improves to 2-0 on the mound.

 

Rock Island (9-1) defeated La Salle-Peru 2-1 on Monday. The Rocks were led by Matt Beam who doubled and drove home both Rock Island runs in the contest. Cory Cook picked up the win in relief for Rock Island.

 

St. Edward senior Jordan Torres hit a grand slam and then followed that up with a three-run bomb to lead the Green Wave to a 10-0 whitewash of Aurora Central Catholic in a Suburban Christian Conference Gold opener in five innings. St. Edward (5-4; 1-0) received a two-hit shutout from sophomore Luke Duffy. Duffy, a right-hander, struck out nine and improved to 2-1 on the year.ACC falls to 0-3 and 0-1 in SCC Gold action.

 

Sandburg’s Evansville-bound right-handed pitcher Ryan Billo improved to 3-0 on the mound as the Eagles slipped past Stagg 6-4. Sandburg (4-2) was led by senior Matt Zemke who hammered a two-run homer and drove in four for the Eagles. Junior Nick Bates chipped in with a perfect 3-for-3 day and scored three runs to help lead the Eagles to the victory.

 

Wabash Valley-bound Jeff Jackson of Wauconda (6-3) doubled and tripled and drove home four runs as the Bulldogs defeated Milwaukee Lutheran 10-5. Sophomore Shawn Sundquist picked up the win on the mound and homered for the ‘Dogs.

 

No. 12 St. Laurence (7-1) bounced back from their loss to St Rita and bombed Riverside-Brookfield 7-1.Viking junior catcher Charlie Naso launched a two-run bomb and drove home a third Viking tally with a sacrifice fly. Purdue-recruit Kyle Wood improved to 3-0 with a solid six inning performance on the mound for the Vikings. Wood fanned five and had two hits and an RBI with his bat.

 

Senior Paul Bloodgood and sophomore Mariano Long each homered, leading Naperville North (4-1) to an 11-5 win over Oswego East. Senior RHP Harrison Katz picked up the win for the Huskies on the mound.

 

Notre Dame (5-1) defeated New Trier 15-9 in six innings. Senior Tim Bungum homered and drove in four to lead the Dons.

 

Prospect (3-3) received a complete-game performance from senior right-handed pitcher John Cohn, defeating Glenbrook North 7-3 in a nonconference affair on Monday. Cohn improves to 2-0 on the season for the Knights. Senior Peter Bonahoom ripped his second homer of the year to lead the Knights offense.