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tinleyjunction.com Sports
the tinley junction | July 13, 2017 | 37
Baseball
From Page 38
although only one run was
earned. Thunderbolts pitchers
Max Smyth and Ryan
McGuire allowed only two
of Providence’s first 10 batters
to reach base, one on a hit
batsman and one on a walk
that was immediately erased
with a pickoff.
Providence sent 12 batters
to the plate in the fourth, starting
with Anderson’s leadoff
single. Walsh drove in two
runs on a double, Ben Vitas
doubled home a run, Mucha
had a two-run single, and Tyler
Struck had an RBI single.
Anderson drove in two runs
with an opposite-field double
in his second at-bat of
the inning, and he scored on
Landy’s RBI single.
Andrew drew a basesloaded
walk in the fourth and
another in the fifth to pull
within 9-5.
Providence went up 12-5
in the sixth inning when Jake
Hesselmann had a pinch-hit
RBI single, Landy had an
RBI sacrifice fly, and Brennan
Geers scored on an error.
In the seventh inning, Andrew
loaded the bases for
the third time in four innings
but managed only three runs.
Weert had an RBI double and
scored on a fielder’s choice,
and Nolan Fazel drove in
one run on a single to end the
scoring at 12-8.
“You take away those two
bad innings, and we’re right
there,” DeHaan said. “Our
kids battled again and again.
I’m proud of the kids who
came out to play and competed.”
Allegretti
From Page 39
ly at strong side guard.
“Last year taught me that
the more I know about the offense,
the better I’d be,” Allegretti
said. “I felt like last
year was a huge opportunity
for me. It was a blast.”
He also got a taste of playing
center again, starting at
the spot in a game against
Murray State when starter
Joe Spencer was out with an
injury.
Allegretti credits Spencer
and others for learning not
only the physical aspects of
college football but also the
mental, more leadership-involved
traits.
“The first three years, I got
to play under guys like Mike
Heitz and Alex Hill, and
Teddy Karras for two years
and Joe Spencer,” he said. “I
got to learn from all of those
dudes. I think I’ve learned
a lot about leadership from
them.”
And those leadership lessons
were invaluable, especially
considering the turnover
the Illini have had on
the coaching staff during Allegretti’s
time at the school.
“I got here, and the first
three years we had three
[different] head coaches,” he
said. “It was tough, and not
what I expected obviously.
But after the last coaching
change and Coach [Lovie]
Smith came in, I feel like
the whole team [thought] the
athletic department found us
a coach we can win with.”
Allegretti said the biggest
difference since Smith took
over the program is the way
the program is run.
“It’s run like an NFL program,”
he said. “We come in,
go to film, get treatment and
go to practice. It’s a very efficient
program, and we don’t
waste any time. If we are at
the stadium, we are doing
something productive.”
Going into this season, Allegretti
is slated for a bigger
role on the offensive line —
something he’s ready for.
“The Big Ten is a tough
conference, a physical conference,”
he said. “No matter
what team you are or where
your program is at, if you
want to win a single game in
the Big Ten, it is going to be
hard.
“But I think we have the
ability to go out there and
win a lot of games this year.
We have a lot of young kids,
and a lot of kids who are
stepping up.”
He pointed to running
back Kendrick Foster and
quarterback Chayce Crouch,
who he said has stepped up
to be a leader on the team.
“He’s a playmaker,” Allegretti
said of the young quarterback.
He said he also realizes
with his age and experience,
he needs to be a good example
for his younger teammates.
But he also has high
expectations for the year.
“The No. 1 most important
thing we have to do is play
hard and physical, no matter
what,” he said. “If you
go out there and have a brain
freeze, come off the ball and
still play hard. When we go
back and watch film on Sunday,
you can’t say, ‘I took
that play off.’ We have the
players we need and we have
the talent. But if we take
plays off, we’re not going to
win the games we need to.
We need every single player,
11 at a time, and everyone on
the sidelines to be engaged
and give 100 percent effort.”
A bright future
Allegretti recognizes his
playing career at Illinois is
winding down, but his goal
still remains to play the
game as long as he possibly
can.
“Whether it is another
two, five or 10 years …
whatever it is, I want to play
as long as I can,” Allegretti
said. “I absolutely love the
sport. There’s nothing like
competing at this level.”
But that doesn’t mean it is
his only option. He said he
will graduate in December
with an accounting degree,
and he has his sights set on
perhaps pursuing a master’s
degree.
“Whenever football ends,
I’m really excited to get into
the business world,” he said.