NL_070716

38 | July 7, 2016 | The New Lenox Patriot sports
newlenoxpatriot.com
Sturm’s late home run rallies West to win in extras
James Sanchez
Assistant Editor
Despite not providing as
much pop as a metal bat,
Lincoln-Way West catcher
Brendan Sturm still prefers
to use wood bats in games.
“I love the sound of it,”
the sophomore said. “When
you get a good piece of it,
you know you got a good
swing on it.”
Sturm said the wood bat
makes him feel like a professional,
and against Palatine
during the Lockport Porter
Summer Classic on June 28,
he hit a major league shot —
a three-run home run — in the
final inning of play to help put
the game into extra innings.
The Warriors eventually completed
the comeback with a
6-5 win in eight innings.
After scoring only one run
the first six innings, despite
a Warrior reaching base in
each frame, Sturm turned a
game of missed opportunities
into a dramatic sequence
at the end — starting with
his home run well over the
right field fence against a
submarine closer.
“He gave me a four-seamer
right down the middle,
and I put a good swing on
it,” he said. “It was the first
time I hit a home run with a
wood bat. It’s exciting, too,
because I did it with varsity.”
But that only made it a
tie game at 4-4. Next batter
Anthony Lullo walked,
was sacrificed over to second
base and was driven in
by Mike Majcher to take the
team’s first lead. The designated
hitter’s RBI turned
out to be vital, as the Pirates
answered back with a run in
the bottom of the seventh to
extend the game.
California rules were
enforced in extra innings,
which meant a runner was
on second base to start each
half inning with one out, to
accelerate the game. West
scored without needing a
hitter to put the ball in play
Lincoln-Way West outfielder Ryan McWilliams, who
transferred from Central, swings at a pitch June 28 at the
Lockport Porter Summer Classic.
James Sanchez/22nd Century Media
thanks to Noah Hibler, who
stole third and later scored
on a passed ball for the
winning run.
“It was interesting at the
end,” West coach Jake Zajc
said. “It was nice to have
a comeback. We got ourselves
into some interesting
situations — some good and
some bad — so that’s why
you play in the summer to go
through some of those things
and learn from it, and make
sure we don’t make the same
mistakes twice.”
West’s lack of run support
was also a credit to some of
Palatine’s great defensive
efforts. Lullo couldn’t tag
from third in the first inning
after a strong throw home
from Pirates’ center fielder
John Weber. The same scenario
occurred in the third
inning; but this time, Lullo
ran home, and Weber threw
him out.
Pirates right fielder Matt
Helms made a lunging catch
off the bat of Connor Lowman
in the sixth inning with
the bases loaded to maintain
a 4-1 lead before Sturm’s heroics.
Jimmy Helfrich provided
the team’s lone run in
the first six innings with an
RBI groundout that scored
Majcher.
The Warriors graduated
six players from its starting
lineup. Majcher, Hibler,
Danny Allen and Joe Paparelli
are the main pieces
returning on the offensive
side. Zajc said the summer
is for those fighting for positions,
and with the players
moving over from Central,
the offseason will be a crucial
time for the Warriors.
There aren’t any starting
positions established yet, but
Zajc said Sturm is definitely
making an impression to help
fill the void of losing last
year’s catcher, Ben Zordani.
“He’s a kid that we’re
looking to develop behind
the plate,” Zajc said of
Sturm. “He’s a baseball kid,
so he cares about it, and he
works at it. We look for him
to get stronger in the future,
but today, confidence-wise,
that’s big clutch hit for him.”
Big hits are what fueled
West’s success in the Lockport
Porter Summer Classic.
The day before, it defeated
Chicago Christian 8-4 and
narrowly lost to Andrew
7-5. Despite Central transfer
Ryan McWilliams’ short
time with the team thus far,
he said the offense has impressed
him the most and
that his confidence didn’t
waver with the three-run
deficit going into the final
inning.
“I definitely think we had
the offense to come back today,”
he said. “We came back
against Providence [a week
prior] and won 8-7 in the last
inning, as well. I’m confident
with our team, offensivewise.
I didn’t think we were
going to lose today.”
Boys Basketball
East’s Buggemi hits six 3-pointers to bury Central 52-37
James Sanchez
Assistant Editor
Lincoln-Way Central
guard Joey DiNaso said it is
always going to be awkward
stepping on the court against
Lincoln-Way East. He was a
Griffin during his first three
years of high school.
The senior has been playing
with East players Sam
and Max Shafer, Zach Zivo,
Zack Tencza and others
since fourth grade. A summer
league matchup on June
28 marked the second time
the two teams squared off,
and DiNaso has already embraced
being in his new surroundings,
away from his
former teammates.
“Going to Central, I kind
of have a chip on my shoulder,”
he said. “I want to be at
my best and beat the school I
used to go to, and make it like
a friendly rivalry.”
And in order to make it
a rivalry, the wins cannot
be one-sided. The first time
the two teams met, DiNaso
led the way to victory by a
double-digit margin. East
answered back the next time
around.
Behind a barrage of
3-pointers from guard
Joe Buggemi, the Griffins
avenged their previous loss
by defeating the Knights 52-
37 in New Lenox. The junior
hit six shots from behind
the arc and finished with a
game-high 20 points. Buggemi
said the addition of the
North players is motivating
him to improve his game, so
he could maintain a key role
in the rotation, like last year.
“The North kids coming
over, it’s definitely tough,”
he said. “They didn’t know
a lot of us, so there’s a lot of
competition for five starting
spots.”
Buggemi started off hot
scoring 11 of the team’s first
14 points after the tip-off, but
it was the Knights who came
away with a 24-22 first-half
lead by grinding out baskets
through offensive rebounds
and shots in the paint.
However, Central’s offense
went cold in the second half.
The Knights were only able
to muster two points in the
last five minutes of play, but
Central coach Bob Curran’s
goal for the game was to have
a chance to evaluate his players
for the upcoming season.
All of the team’s starters and
most key reserves graduated
in spring.
“Obviously we’re not in
season form,” Curran said.
“Right now, we’re evaluating
a lot of guys. We played all
16 guys today. We’re just trying
to get a feel on who could
do what with playing time.”
Chris Robinson led the
way with 11 points. DiNaso
tied big man Andrew Hancock
for second on the team
with eight points. Brian Ponton
and Luke Hanley each
had four points.
The Knights and Griffins
will enter next season in different
phases of their programs.
East will return plenty
of key members, along with
North standout Dorian Aluyi
transferring over, while Central
will have to redesign an
entirely new starting lineup.
Despite the differences, East
coach Rich Kolimas believes
the Knights will still be a big
test.
“Lincoln-Way Central is
going to be a formidable
team,” Kolimas said. “They
got some size. [Chris Robinson]
is really a nice player.
Joey DiNaso is tenacious, as
we know, and they also have
Aaron Michalak, who was
missing for them [today].
They’re going to be tough
this year.”