Wednesday, April 14 Roundup

 

By Drake Skleba

 

Rock Island, Moline march toward Western Big 6 Showdown … No.20 Moline (12-1; 2-0) and Rock Island (13-1; 2-0) each defeated NCIC-Lincoln opponents in nonconference games on Wednesday.

 

Moline junior Eric Ashcroft launched his third homer of the year, a two-run bomb, and drove in three runs as the Maroons defeated Sterling 7-1. Junior RHP Brandon Shaw picks up the win on the mound for the Maroons and improves to 1-1.

 

Rock Island (13-1) defeated Rock Falls and standout junior RHP Jake Junis 4-0. Rock Islands’ 6- foot, 210-pound LHP Matt Johnson (2-0) fired a four-hit shutout at the Rockets. Rocks senior Chris Suhr continued his hot-hitting with a double and a two-run jack.  Freshman catcher Chris Scudder doubled home a pair of runs for the Rocks.

 

The defending Western Big 6 co-champs will meet in Moline Saturday at 11.The PBR’s Drake Skleba will be in Moline for all the action of this ancient Quad Cities war.

 

No. 12 Chatham Glenwood’s hard-hitting third baseman Jake Ingold hammered his fifth and sixth homers of the season as the Titans defeated Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin 9-7 in nine innings on Wednesday in Chatham.

 

The power-hitting unsigned senior hammered a dramatic three-run shot in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 5. Both teams scored twice in the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, Ingold sent the South Park faithful into a frenzy with a two run bomb, giving the Titans their 22^nd consecutive CS8 victory.

 

Ingold, who pitched the eighth and ninth for the Titans, picked up the win on the mound as well. Glenwood improves to 8-1, 4-0 in the CS8. Snake-bit SHG falls to 4-7, 1-3 in the CS8.

 

Streator’s (11-2) Gunthar Libby stuck out 14 and threw a three-hitter as the Bulldogs defeated Manteno 5-1 in a nonconference game on Wednesday. Libby, who’s coming off an arm injury, was outstanding in his first appearance of the year.

 

Glenbard South (10-4; 5-0) took over the top spot in the Western Sun Conference with a thrilling 1-0 win over Kaneland on Wednesday. Raider Dylan Rheault fired a one-hit shutout, striking out 13 Knight batters. Raider senior Brandon Phillips gave Rheault the only run he would need when Phillips blasted a solo-shot in the third inning.

 

Lincoln-Way Central (11-3; 1-0) won its Southwest Suburban Blue opener, defeating

Sandburg 3-2 on Wednesday. 6-foot-2 senior Sam Mampe had three hits, including the game winner for the Knights. Lewis University-bound RHP Tom Helwich (2-1) fired a four-hit complete game, allowing two runs and striking out four.

 

Homewood Flossmoor’s (10-1; 1-0) Heartland Community College-recruit Aaron Hauge (3-0) fired a five-hit shutout to lead the Vikings to a 1-0 Southwest Suburban Blue opening win over Joliet. The 5-foor-11 left hander struck out 17 Steelmen hitters in leading the Vikings to their ninth consecutive win. H-F’s senior Jack Sheehan theft of home in the bottom of the sixth was this difference in this thriller.

 

Mount Carmel (10-3; 2-0) defeated Loyola 8-2 behind a complete game two-hitter from University of Illinois recruit junior RHP John Kravetz (3-1) in a Catholic Blue game at Haggerty Field. Senior left-handed hitting Brad Myjak hammered a two-run homer and

University of Kentucky recruit junior Jeff Boehm drove in two runs for the Caravan.

 

Providence (10-4; 2-0) kept pace with Mount Carmel in the Catholic Blue, crushing Catholic White foe Fenwick 13-2. St. Rita-transfer junior Dan Potempa had two hits, including his eighth round tripper of the year, with a man on for the Celtics.

 

Lincoln-Way West (7-4; 1-0) won a pitcher’s duel. L-W West’s junior right-hander Cody Vogler outdueled Andrew’s Lewis University-bound Tom Durkin 3-1, in a Southwest Suburban Red opener for both teams. Vogler (4-1) allowed a run and four hits while striking out 11. Vogler can hit as well, as he hammered a homer and a double to lead the Warriors in their inaugural Southwest Conference victory.

 

Creighton-bound senior OF Michael Gerber doubled and homered and drove in three as defending Upstate 8 Conference champs Neuqua Valley (5-3; 2-2) blasted Lake Park 11-2 on Wednesday. Lake Park falls to 9-2; 3-1 in the U8C.

 

No.5 Naperville Central defeated West Aurora 7-2 to sweep their Du Page Valley Conference opening three-game series behind the pitching of senior RHP Marc Mantucca (2-0) and the white-hot hitting of right fielder Bobby Czarnowski.Czar owski had three more hits and an RBI for the’Hawks. Czarnowski punished West Aurora’s pitchers, going 7-for-9 with seven RBIs in the three game series. Kansas State-bound first baseman Shane Conlon had a pair of hits and drove in a run for the ‘Hawks.

 

Wheaton Warrenville South (9-5; 3-0) kept pace with Naperville Central, as the Tigers defeated Glenabrd East 13-7. Senior Kyle Snow had three hits and drove in three Tiger runs. The two Du Page Valley leaders will start a crucial early-season series on Monday at WWS. On Tuesday the clubs will square off at Benedictine University under the lights at 7:30.

 

Downers Grove North’s (6-5; 4-2) Notre Dame-bound SS Eric Jagielo hit a grand slam and ISU-bound Joe Claver also homered as the Trojans swept away Proviso West 13-2,  in the West Suburban Silver.

 

No.2 Minooka’s (14-2; 5-0) University of Texas-bound Mike Foltynewicz (5-0) fired a complete-game two-hitter and struck out 15 as the Indians squeaked past Oswego East 3-2 in a Southwest Prairie Conference battle on Wednesday.

 

No.9 Plainfield North (11-1; 5-0) kept pace with Minooka in the Southwest Prairie, trouncing Plainfield South 14-4 in six innings. Senior RHP Scott Vachon improved to 3-0 on the mound and had three hits and an RBI for the Tigers. Senior first baseman Jeff Paulson had three hits, including a three-run bomb for the Tigers.

 

Lakes ( 8-5; 1-1 ) 6-foot-4 junior RHP Nick Hibbing fired a four-hit shutout in leading the defending North Suburban Prairie Division champs to a thrilling 1-0 win over Vernon Hills (6-9; 3-1). Senior first baseman Travis Vanderwall waked to leadoff the bottom of the seventh and scored the game winner on left fielder Ryan Noon’s game-winning infield single. Hibbing (3-0), who is committed to Iowa, struck out 11. Freshman Tyler Feece (1-2) suffers the heart-breaking defeat for the Cougars. Feece allowed one run in six quality innings of work.

 

In the Mid-Suburban League, defending West Division champ Fremd (4-3; 1-0) opened up defense of their championship with a 5-2 win over Barrington. In a battle of two of the top pitchers in the MSL, Fremd’s senior left-hander Clint Terry (3-2) outdueled Barrington’s University of Illinois-bound right-hander Robbie McDonnell (3-2).Terry allowed five hits and two unearned runs while fanning 9 Bronco hitters.

 

In the MSL East, Hersey (8-2; 1-0) slipped past Buffalo Grove 7-6 in nine innings.

A Buffalo Grove (7-4; 0-1) miscue gave the Huskies the win in the bottom of the ninth. Senior RHP Steve Danielak went the distance to improve to 4-0 on the season. Dominic Biagini homered and drove in two for Hersey.

 

Lyons Township (10-3; 6-0) defeated Morton in a West Suburban Conference crossover game 5-2. Lion Mark Koziel homered and picked up the win on the mound. Bryan Rodemoyer had a big two-run double for the Lions. Spencer Mahoney and Steve Hellenbach each contributed a pair of hits, including a double. LT will host a big WSC Silver twin-bill on Saturday with Oak Park (10-3; 3-3) in Western Springs at 10.

 

Simeon (11-4; 5-0) defeated Jones 13-3 in five innings behind freshman Marshawn Taylor, who had three hits, including two doubles and two RBIs. Senior Charles Aldridge drove in three Wolverine runs with a 2-for-3 day. Shane Brown (3-0) picked up the win for the Wolverines on the mound, striking out seven.