Baseball: Reavis rebounds from hard-luck losses

Updated: May 8, 2012 7:26PM

When Reavis dropped consecutive heartbreaking conference games to Eisenhower and Shepard, it could have gone into a tailspin — especially when one considers how the Rams lost those games.

They led Eisenhower 4-2 with two outs in the seventh inning and were one strike away from sewing up the win. However, the Cardinals rallied for a 5-4 victory.

It was nearly an identical scenario against Shepard. Reavis led 3-1 with two outs in the seventh and again was one strike away from victory when the Astros rallied for a 4-3 win.

The two losses dropped the Rams to 5-5 in the SSC Red.

“Those were tough losses,” Reavis coach Don Erickson said. “The conference race didn’t look too good at that point.”

The Rams have won three straight conference games since, including a series sweep of Oak Lawn.

Reavis trails Richards, 10-2 entering Tuesday, by three games. The Rams play Richards on Monday and Tuesday.

“If we can win out and play well against Evergreen Park two games, maybe we can be within striking distance when we play Richards,” Erickson said.

For that to happen, the Rams will need continued solid performances from pitchers Anthony Doory and Jake Stano.

Doory at one point in the season was 1-5, but has won three of his past four decisions. Stano beat Bolingbrook 4-1 and pitched well in relief against Oak Lawn.

“We’re pretty good when those two guys are throwing well,” Erickson said. “Stano was a kid we considered bringing up as a sophomore. He had arm trouble his junior year and his arm was sore for the first half of this season. But he’s looked good.”

No one has looked better at the plate than David Beltran. The senior is hitting .424, and his 39 hits on the season are just 15 shy of the school record, set in 1998 by Mike Henderson.

“David has a shot at breaking it,” Erickson said. “He’s been so consistent with the bat.”

Catcher Leo Hernandez had to fill the massive shoes of Rob Rabakozi, a freshman at Valparaiso. Hernandez has done an admirable job behind the plate, with help from assistant coach Bob Morack, a 1996 Reavis grad.

“Leo was raw, but he’s made some big strides defensively,” Erickson said.

Yacko goes JC route

Mike Yacko, pitcher/third baseman at Oak Lawn, recently committed to Logan Junior College in Carterville, Ill.

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