Baseball: Sandburg keeps pace in conference with win over Homewood-Flossmoor

Updated: May 15, 2012 8:51PM

Part of a three-team race for the top spot in the SouthWest Suburban Blue with two games remaining, Sandburg has no room for error if conference aspirations are to be realized.

The Eagles passed the first test Tuesday with flying colors.

Dylan Rajkovich led an 11-hit attack with a grand slam and pitcher Matt Farrington fired a three-hitter as Sandburg drubbed visiting Homewood-Flossmoor 10-0 in six innings.

The Eagles, who were tied with Lockport and Joliet West entering Tuesday, improved to 20-6, 9-4. The Vikings fell to 17-11, 5-8.

“One game at a time,” Sandburg coach Jim Morsovillo said. “We won today, so that gives us a chance Thursday (at H-F). We played good defense and Matt threw strikes. Dylan’s grand slam put it out of reach.”

Rajkovich’s blast highlighted a seven-run fourth inning. The senior roped a 2-and-2 fastball from pitcher Nick Relli down the left-field line to make it 9-0.

“I was down two strikes, so I choked up and fortunately, he gave me a fastball middle in,” said Rajkovich, a St. Joseph’s recruit. “I got a good swing on it.”

The Eagles grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second. After Alec Nelson (3-for-4) led off with a double, H-F starter Matt Graboski committed consecutive throwing errors on bunts by Ryan Trokey and Austin Cangelosi (2-for-3) that allowed two runs.

Sandburg padded its lead in the fourth. Run-scoring singles by Cangelosi and Justin Joy preceded Rajkovich’s four-bagger.

Nelson put an end to the game in the sixth when he singled with the bases loaded to drive in Rajkovich (2-for-4) for a 10-0 spread.

Zach Reks (2-for-3) and Farrington (2-for-3) also contributed offensively for the Eagles. Farrington’s biggest contributions, however, came on the mound. The senior lefty didn’t walk a batter and struck out five during a 65-pitch effort. He benefited from a diving catch at shortstop by Cangelosi, who robbed Ben Kirchler of a would-be single in the sixth.

“Our approach at the plate wasn’t very good,” H-F coach Todd Sippel said. “We’re in a little funk offensively. We need to get out of it soon.”

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