By Drake Skleba

 

WESTERN SPRINGS - Lyons Township’s 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior right-hander Connor Cuff used his powerful right arm and equally powerful bat to lead the Lions to a 6-2 game two victory over York in Saturday’s crucial West Suburban Conference Silver twin-bill. Cuff allowed four hits and one earned run in his 6 1/3 innings of work. Cuff singled and doubled and drove home three Lion runs in helping himself to a perfect 5-0 record on the mound.

 

York (12-11; 6-5) scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh of game one on wild pitches to rally past Lyons, 4-3. Bradley University-bound RHP Steve Adkins fired a complete game four hitter, allowing no earned runs, and with the win improved to 4-3 on the season. Adkins’ triple in the big seventh led to the game-winning run.

 

Game 1: York 4, Lyons 3: In a very strange opener, York, in the top of the seventh, scored the tying and winning runs on wild pitches, to pick up a gift-wrapped victory, 4-3 in game one. Lyons junior reliever Jimmy Heilenbach (1-3), who had used one pitch to put out a York threat in the sixth, hit York senior leadoff man and centerfielder Ray Yong to leadoff the fateful seventh.

 

For Yong, it was the fourth time on base having doubled and having reached base on a pair of walks.

 

“Steve pitched an excellent game for us and we had to find a way to win,” said Yong. “I did my job today, which is to get on base anyway I can.”

 

Senior Bobby Fisher moved Yong to second on beautifully executed sac-bunt and Yong went to third on a ground out where he would score the tying run on a wild pitch. Adkins was next and ripped a monster triple and junior courtesy runner Chris Jennings scored on the second wild pitch of the inning to give the Dukes the lead 4-3.

 

“I was happy to get the big triple in the seventh and Chris Jennings did a great job getting a good jump on the ball and scored the game winner,” said Adkins. “This was one of my better outings in a while. I had complete command of all three of my pitches. This was a huge game for us to win and we have to come out and win game two.”

 

Lyons (16-8; 10-4) scored a pair of unearned runs in the second against Adkins. The Lions scored the first run on a York miscue and plated the second tally on a passed ball. It was that kind of a game.

 

York tied it up with two in the top of the third. The Dukes scored their first run, on you guessed it, a passed ball and tied things on an RBI ground out from junior 3B Joey Grollo.

 

L.T. took the lead again 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Junior 3B Tom Walsh opened the inning up with a double and moved to third on a sac-bunt from junior RF Dan Zehe (1-for-2).Walsh was gunned down at the plate by Duke sophomore second baseman Jake Rzeszutko on a strike to Duke catcher Kyle Leone for the second out of the inning.  L.T. junior SS Spencer Mahoney reached on an error as junior Pat Dillon raced to third and would score the lead run, on you guessed it again, a wild pitch, for a 3-2 L.T. lead.

 

L.T. junior RHP starting pitcher Zach Remijas pitched a fine game for the Lions, allowing one earned run and just two hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

 

Amidst all of the chaos, L.T. had a pair of great defensive plays in the game. Junior LF Mike Pett went over the left field fence to take away a two-run homer from York junior  Kyle Leone in the top of the second. Mahoney, in the top of the fifth, gunned down a Duke base runner at the plate, with a perfect throw and tag by Lion catcher Mike Phillipp, to keep the game tied at 2.

 

“I would say we won a little ugly today,” said York head coach Dave Kalal. “We moved runners over to get in scoring position, which was a big key to our victory, where they scored our runs. Steve Adkins pitched an outstanding game for us today. He has pitched well for us all season. Then he gets the big triple in the seventh that led to the winning run.”

 

Game 2: Lyons 6, York 2

Junior Connor Cuff, came to the rescue for the wounded Lions, although game two began as the same old nightmare for L.T.

 

York loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the first against Cuff. A Lion error, a single by Grollo and a walk loaded the bases. York junior Joe Paparone appeared to have rolled out to second but the error bug struck L.T again and the Dukes led 1-0.

 

Cuff decided to take over the game: in the second, third and fourth Cuff struck out six Duke hitters and kept them off the board.

 

In the Lion fourth, Cuff drilled a two-run single, scoring Steve Heilenbach, who had doubled, and junior first baseman Brian Rodemoyer, who had singled, to give the Lions the lead 2-1.

 

In the York fifth, Cuff set down the Dukes in order, picking up his seventh and final strikeout of the game.

 

In the L.T. fifth, senior Mike Palucek (2-for-3,2B) led off the inning with a double and would score on another two out Duke miscue. Senior Mark Koziel doubled home Palucek, finishing the day for York hard-luck starting pitcher John Mellone (2-4). Cuff greeted York reliever Andrew Garcia with an RBI double to increase the Lion lead to 5-1.

 

“The first game was a real downer for us as we lost for the third time where we had 20 outs and couldn’t get the final out,” said Cuff. “It was important for us to come back and win this game. I had to come out and set the tone for us. I was getting my changeup over and when that happens I have the confidence to get any of my pitches over for strikes. I hit the ball well today and that helped my pitching as well, because I don’t over focus on my pitching. We have a big game in Elmhurst Tuesday.”

 

Adkins would launch his fourth homer of the season to lead off the top of the sixth to bring the Dukes within 5-2. L.T regained their four run cushion in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by Heilenbach.

 

“We had lost three games in a row where all we had to do was get the third out in the seventh,” said a relieved Lyons head coach George Ushela. “Connor Cuff was the ball game for us. He is our best pitcher and pitched a great game for us tonight. Connor also did it with his bat driving in three runs. As a team we had a number of quality at-bats.”