By Drake Skleba

 

PALOS HEIGHTS - Expectations are high in Palos Heights this spring for Chicago Christian head coach Eric Brauer and his Knights. Considered one of the top teams in Class 2A, the Knights got off to a quick start of the season by rolling past Bloom 9-1 in the first official day of the season. The Knights were led by 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior right-hander Trent Overzet and 6-foot-2, 195-pound senior DH Joe Glotz (2-for-2, 2 2B, BB, 2R, 2 RBI).

 

Overzet, a 10-game winner in 2010, fired five innings of three-hit ball. He allowed one run and struck out nine Bloom batsmen to pick up the season-opening victory. Junior Michael Kamp and senior Ritchie Santarelli each pitched a scoreless inning in relief. Kamp fanned one and Santarelli struck out two.

 

Overzet (1-for-2, RBI, BB) singled in the third and drove in what turned out to be the game-winning run, in the fifth, when he was robbed of a second hit by Bloom sophomore SS Johnny Banuelos.

 

With runners on second and third with one out in the bottom of the fifth, and the game knotted at 1-1, Overzet hit a shot deep in the hole at short. Banuelos made a spectacular stop and throw to nail Overzet at first base, and Knight senior CF Jon Lemmenes (0-for-1,2 BB,2R), who had walked, scored to put the Knights up 2-1.The Knights would go up 3-1 on  a wild pitch, scoring Glotz, who had reached on a walk.

 

?I pitched well today for us. I was a little nervous in the beginning. With the high expectations for our team this season, I really wanted to pitch well and get us off to a good start,? said Overzet. ?We have a very experienced team this season and we are expecting to be very successful.?

 

Glotz put the Knights on the board first with a two-out RBI double, scoring senior

Jeremy Kamp, in the bottom of the second. Kamp, who reached base on a fielder?s choice, then stole second and third base. Glotz was thrown out at third for the third out of the inning, trying to stretch his double into a triple.

 

?I came up with a chance to drive in a big run for us,? said Glotz. ?I hit the ball really well for us today. We are very confident going into this season. We must continue to work hard and get better each game.?

 

Bloom (0-1) quickly answered with a two-out RBI double by junior DH Brian Hankey (1-for-2, 2B, BB, RBI) in the top of the third. The game-tying inning was started on an infield hit by Blazing Trojan junior catcher Kyle Hammock (1-for-2). Banuelos reached on a 1-6 force-play at second. Banuelos stole second and scored on Hankey?s double.

 

Chicago Christian broke open the game with a six-run sixth against the Bloom bullpen. The Knights tallied only one hit ? Glotz?s second run-scoring double of the day - in the six-run outburst.

 

Bloom starting pitcher senior Justin Hernandez (4 IP, 1ER, 3H, 3K, 1BB) pitched well for Bloom and did not get a decision.

?It was a typical first-game for us,? said Brauer.? We had a little first-game jitters but came around and picked up a good win. Trent (Overzet) pitched well for us today. He threw strikes for us overall and when Trent throws strikes he is very effective.

 

?Trent had a very good day at the plate for us as well,? continued Brauer. ?Our No. 7 hitter, Joe Glotz, had a pair of big doubles for us, too. For us to be important, the bottom of our batting order must be productive as they were today.?