Baseball: Andrew’s two big innings overwhelm Stagg
Updated: May 4, 2012 9:50PM
Andrew sent nine batters to the plate in the third inning. Ten more Thunderbolts stepped into the batter’s box in the fifth.
While those frames may have been long-lasting, the team’s SouthWest Suburban Red clash Friday against Stagg was not.
The No. 7 Thunderbolts scored five runs in the third and seven more in the fifth en route to a 13-2 verdict over Stagg in five innings in Palos Hills. It was the sixth consecutive win for Andrew (19-6, 9-0).
“We had a couple of big innings, and that always helps,” Andrew coach Dave DeHaan said. “We’ve played a great two weeks of baseball. And we have a great group of kids. They work extremely hard.”
The T-bolts were led by the hitting of designated hitter Mark Kane. With the score knotted at 1-1, Kane broke the game open with a three-run double to the left-field wall in the third.
“I thought Mark Kane had some great at-bats,” DeHaan said. “Bases loaded on a 2-2 count, and we’re only up a run. He hit that three-run double, and I think that kind of changed the momentum of the game.”
Kane struck again in the fifth. After Justin Rzeszutko launched a solo home run (No. 8) over the right-field wall to start the inning, Kane followed with a homer to left.
“I was seeing the ball pretty well today,” Kane said. “Pitchers were giving it up, and I just capitalized on it.”
Zach Klochowski contributed an RBI double and a triple to Andrew’s cause.
Andrew scored three runs in the fifth on wild pitches. Three of its third-inning runs came as the result of walks.
Stagg (11-13, 4-5) scored in the first on Kyle Belluomini’s RBI single. Brian Valcarcel drove in the Chargers’ other run on a fielder’s choice groundout in the third. Mike Farnan scored both runs for Stagg (11-13, 4-5).
“You just can’t give that team free baserunners. That was the difference in the game,” Stagg coach Matt O’Neill said. “You can’t give them freebies. Once it gets to seven and eight, it’s tough.”
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