By Sean Duncan

ELMHURST – Defending West Suburban Silver champion Oak Park-River Forest entered Monday’s conference opener with an impressive 7-0 record against some top-level competition, which earned the Huskies a No. 5 state ranking.

Whatever. No one sent that memo to Steve Adkins, as the York right-hander put a muzzle on the Huskies’ bats, throwing an efficient four-hitter in six innings work to beat Oak Park 3-1 in snappy game that lasted 90 minutes.

Adkins, a 6-foot-5, 195-pound Bradley University recruit, struck out eight with one walk and hit three batters. Adkins (2-1) retired the side in order three times, and after allowing a game-opening double to sophomore catcher Jack Picchiotti, Oak Park (7-1, 0-1) didn’t reach base until two outs in the fourth. York improved to 3-4 on the season. The two teams play again Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday at Oak Park, two of the top junior pitchers in the state, York’s Ryan Hinchley (committed to Kentucky) and Oak Park’s Will Polley, square off.

“I was really feeling nice and loose today,” said Adkins. “I thought the key was coming out and popping the glove with strikes and getting ahead right away.”

Adkins began to falter in the sixth, when he hit three batters, including Andrew Godbold with the bases loaded to account for Oak Park’s only run. But he bore down and struck out the final batter of the inning with the bases loaded. Adkins was welcomed in the seventh with an inning-opening double by Alec Jeffries, then proceeded to issue his only walk before York coach Dave Kalal brought in senior left-hander Matt Pisani.

Pisani got the first batter to pop up to the catcher on a sacrifice bunt, then retired the next two batters in order, including a strikeout, to secure the win.

“In the seventh, my arms and legs started to go a little,” said Adkins, who also went 1-for-3 at the plate. “What a remarkable job by Matt Pisani to mow down the heart of their order. … This sets the tone for the rest of the year. I knew going in I had to have my A game. This was huge. Coming out and beating a good team like Oak Park is big for us.”

Oak Park right-hander Jack Rogalla matched Adkins pitch for pitch. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder showed why he’s one of the top unsigned senior pitchers in the state by striking out seven in a complete-game effort. Rogalla allowed one earned run, seven hits and walked two – both in the first inning.

York broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth with two unearned runs thanks to two Oak Park errors. Junior outfielder Joe Boozell (2-for-3) delivered an RBI single in the inning, and later came around to score on a throwing error. The Dukes made it 3-0 in the fifth on Steve Brogan’s RBI single, scoring Ray Yong, who had led off the inning with a double.

“We needed that,” said York coach Dave Kalal. “We needed that from Steve. With Steve being a senior, he gave us what we needed. He was efficient and had command of three pitches. He came out today and was a pitcher. That was big for us.”