Jacobs' Sargent in command against Palatine

Pitching backward helped Ryan Sargent and the Jacobs baseball team earn a straightforward 4-1 nonconference win at Palatine on Monday.

The senior right-hander's game plan was to undermine the Pirates by throwing curveballs in fastball counts, a strategy he was able to execute from the start after coming out of the bullpen with excellent command of his breaking ball. Sargent (2-0) threw 91 pitches in 6 innings, allowed 1 unearned run on 3 hits, walked 2 and struck out 6.

"I just got nice and loose and got the curveball working early then worked in the fastball and had them guessing all game," Sargent said.

Palatine (2-4) scored an unearned run in the second inning when Nick Orlando led off with a double to the wall in left center, moved to third on an error and scored on a double-play grounder off the bat of Ryan Anderson. It was the only offense the Pirates would manage.

"I think we did some pretty decent things but he had good command of his breaking ball and was able to get ahead," Palatine coach Paul Belo said of Sargent. "He got us guessing a little bit, but overall it's something that's going to happen, recognizing that pitch early in the season and getting comfortable with that pitch, feeling good about putting that ball in play and putting it in play firmly."

Jacobs (7-2) scored all 4 of its runs in the top of the fourth. After Sargent led off with a sharp groundball that was too hot to handle for Palatine's second baseman, senior Owen Oreskovich followed with a game-changing at-bat against Pirates starting pitcher Patrick Seeberger (1-1).

After fouling off 3 straight 2-2 pitches, Oreskovich laced an opposite-field double over the right fielder's head. Sargent, who had to hold up at second to see if the ball was caught, was able to slide home safely ahead of the throw after the relay from shallow right field was double clutched.

"Two-strike approach, trying to work the ball to right field, shorten up," Oreskovich said. "It worked out my way. I put it down the line."

"That's what a good varsity hitter is supposed to do," Jacobs coach Jamie Murray said. "Great at-bat."

With the bases loaded one out later, Jeff Sidor reached when his line drive to right field was dropped for an error. It was the first of 3 Palatine errors in the inning, which led to 2 unearned runs against Seeburger. The right-hander allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits and a walk and struck out 4 in 4 innings.

It was more than enough run support for Sargent, who gave up a single and a walk in the sixth inning but escaped when the potential tying run flied out to right field.

Designated closer Johnny Rohde retired the Pirates in order in the seventh, notching the last two outs via strikeout to earn his third save.

"I usually just throw fastballs and most of the time they can't hit it," Rohde said.

The win improved Jacobs to 7-2. The Golden Eagles went 5-1 on their recently completed trip through southern and central Illinois.

"We feel pretty confident, but we're not done yet," Oreskovich said of the good start. "We have to keep working and get after it."