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the Mokena Messenger | May 4, 2017 | 55
fastbreak
Baseball
Central drops back-to-back games to crosstown rival West
Julie McMann/22nd Century
Media
1st-and-3
Stars of the
beautiful game
1. Bianca Galassini
(above)
The Lincoln-Way East
star midfielder was
a major force in her
team’s victory over
Lincoln-Way West in
their Kick for a Cure
breast cancer awareness
game. She
scored all three of
the Griffins’ goals.
2. Kelsey McInturff
McIntruff did her
part for the Griffins,
sending corner kicks
to perfect spots for
Galassini to head
them in with 38 minutes
and 35 seconds
and 28:29 left in the
match.
3. Anna Power
Power, an East standout,
was instrumental
in getting her team
off to a good start.
Galassini scored on a
header off of a Power
throw-in in the 30th
minute of action.
RANDY WHALEN
Freelance Reporter
West was best.
Behind the pitching of
Kyler Kopacz and a 4-for-4
day from fellow senior A.J.
Ashley, Lincoln-Way West
won 3-1 over crosstown rival
Lincoln-Way Central in the
public school battle of New
Lenox on April 24 at Central.
Two days later on April
26, the Warriors shut down
the Knights again. This time
it was 4-2 behind the pitching
of junior Marcus Seguin,
who had a trio of strikeouts
in 6 2/3 innings.
With the wins, the Warriors
(13-8-1, 5-0) remained undefeated
in the Red Division
of the SouthWest Suburban
Conference, while it was the
first two conference losses
for Central (11-6 4-2). In the
opening game, each team
had at least one runner reach
base every inning. The teams
combined to strand 23 runners
on base, and both teams
left the bases loaded twice.
“I was excited. I felt great
[against Central],” Kopacz
said. “This [game] has been
circled on the calendar for
three weeks. [Coach Jake
Zajc] asked me if I wanted
[to pitch] it, and, of course,
I did. It’s always a big game
with the crosstown rivals.
“I was sort of pitching
backwards. By that I mean
that my curve was working,
and I was using my off-speed
to get ahead. And then I was
going with the fastball.”
Kopacz went 5 2/3 innings,
but he had to leave with two
outs in the bottom of the fifth
as he was ahead 3-0 but approaching
the 105-pitch limit.
The right-hander allowed
one unearned run on just two
hits, while walking two and
striking out five.
“It was a pitch count issue,”
Zajc confirmed of taking
out Kopacz. “But Kyler
had a great outing. He’s been
a great senior asset for the
team.”
When Kopacz exited the
game, there were two outs,
and sophomore catcher Dylan
Post, who had walked, was on
second. Senior lefty Connor
Lowman entered and walked
junior first baseman Nate
Davis and junior left fielder
Ryan Vice to load the bases.
Junior shortstop Adam Brown
(1-for-3) then reached on the
Warriors’ fourth error of the
game as Post scored. Lowman,
however, got an infield
popup to end the inning.
Lowman retired the first
two batters in the bottom of
the seventh, but then walked
junior pinch-hitter Dan
Gross on five pitches and
Post on eight pitches. Senior
righty Connor Blair then entered
the game and pitched
to junior third baseman Mike
Roat, who registered an infield
hit, which was only the
Knights’ third of the game.
Then, with the bases loaded
for the second straight inning,
Davis came to the plate.
In the fourth, Davis (1-for-3)
demolished a two-out double
to left center for Central’s
first hit. Another hit here
would likely tie the game.
Instead, he grounded out on a
2-2 pitch to strand the bases
loaded for the second straight
inning and end the game.
“It was tough,” said Central
coach Mitch Nowicki, who
saw his team strand six runners
in the final two innings
and 12 in the game. “We had
a couple of situations there at
the end with runners in scoring
position but couldn’t get
them in. We needed the big
hit, and we didn’t get it.”
During the first half of the
season, the Knights have
been in similar situations but
were able to rally for wins.
This time, however, they
came up short.
“It’s been our stumbling
block that we haven’t started
well,” Nowicki said. “I’d
say half our wins this season
have been come-from-behind
ones. We’ve had some
magic, but [in the first game
against West] we gave up too
many free bases.”
What Nowicki likes,
though, is the depth of the
team. Third baseman Jake
Blount suffered a right leg
injury on April 21 in a loss
to Lincoln-Way East. The
junior still didn’t know how
long he’d be out, but Roat
stepped in at the hot corner
against West.
“We get a lot of guys involved,”
Nowacki said of
what he liked about this season’s
squad. “The lineup has
changed a lot, and the work
ethic and desire have carried
us so far.”
Ashley helped carry the
Warriors offense. The designated
hitter had more hits (4)
than Central (3) in the game.
Not bad for someone who
missed the first few weeks of
the season after having right
shoulder surgery.
“I’m not ready to throw
yet,” said Ashley, who would
normally play as a middle
infielder/center fielder. “But
[as of the first week of April]
I was able to bat, and I feel
good. I think [coming out
and getting the hits] just set
the mood for us. I think we
were pumped to play Central.
We lost by a run on the
road [3-2 on April 20 to state
top-ranked] St. Laurence,
and we think we can hang
with anyone. Now, we just
want to focus on conference
games and winning in the
postseason.”
West scored two runs in
the second. Senior catcher
Mike Majcher (1-for-2, 2
BB) walked. Junior courtesy
runner Dominick Schalk
was forced at second on a
grounder by senior left fielder
Jimmy Helfrich.
Senior right fielder Vinny
Schroeder (2-for-2, R, RBI,
2 BB) smashed an RBI triple
to left center to plate Helfrich.
Following a strikeout,
Kennedy walked and Ashley
– who had led off the game
with a line single to right
center, followed with an RBI
single to the hole past short
to make it 2-0.
Junior second baseman
Anthony Lullo walked on
a full-count pitch to lead
off the top of the third. He
stole second with one out,
and with two outs Majcher
(1-for-2, 2 BB) also walked.
Helfrich (1-for-4, RBI) then
singled past short to knock
in Lullo.
Kopacz was also 1-for-4
at the plate, as the Warriors
finished with nine hits. Ashley’s
other two hits were a
line single to center in the
fourth and a smash off the
pitcher to lead off the sixth.
Central’s pitchers were senior
lefty Josh Currier (4 IP,
3 ER, 7H, 2 K, 5 BB) and
junior righty Devin Smith (3
IP, 0 R, 2 H, BB).
“It’s been a learning experience,”
Zajc said. “We got
out of certain situations, and
it’s nice to come out on top.
We’d like to take advantage
of a little more of our opportunities,
but it was a total
team effort. A.J. [Ashley] has
really working himself back
on offense. He’s led us in onbase
percentage.”
In the April 26 meeting at
West, Schroeder had two hits
and an RBI for the Warriors,
which had 10 hits in the
game and scored three runs
in the sixth and held on after
Central got one back in the
seventh. Both teams scored
a run in the first. Junior second
baseman Brandon Bennitt
and senior center fielder
Cam Post each had two hits
for the Knights, who only
had five total in the game.
Listen Up
“This continues to grow every year. It’s always a special
experience to see the community come together for a
bigger cause.”
Jeff Theiss – Lincoln-Way West girls soccer coach, on participating
in the annual Kick for a Cure soccer game
TUNE IN
Softball
4:30 p.m. Monday, May 8
• Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way
West softball will square off in a matchup
at West.
Index
50 – Athlete of the Month
49 – Athlete of the Week
FASTBREAK is compiled by Editor Tim Carroll, tim@mokenamessenger.com.