Suddenly, Conant's scoring in clumps
Conant baseball coach Derek Fivelson figured his team could score a bunch of runs this season. But the Cougars had struggled in the start of the season to push runs across the plate.
Until the seventh inning of Monday's game against Streamwood, when Conant scored 7 times for an 8-2 win.
With that game fresh in their minds, the Conant run machine explode again as Conant blew past Maine West 17-8 on Wednesday. Conant (2-1) banged out 14 hits and scored 5 runs in each of the final 3 innings.
"I am expecting to have an upgraded offense this year," Fivelson said. "Today was a good example of everyone contributing."
Jimmy McLaughlin had 4 hits and RBI while Tulane-bound Anthony Forte had a pair of doubles and walked three times and scored each time he was on base.
"We really have it going," Forre said. "It is a team thing. It just carried over from yesterday. Our bats have got hot and it carried over to today."
McLaughlin, who had a slow start to his season and was called out on strikes twice in his first game, vowed to be more aggressive at the plate.
"I wasn't happy about that,"McLaughlin said. "I was came up with the mentality to swing and try to put the ball in play."
It was Maine West (4-2) that got off to a fast start, tallying 3 times in the first.
Jake Riportella singled, Joe Swanson walked and Eric Outlaw had an infield single for the Warriors. Sean Russell drilled a single to score 2 runs. Outlaw later scored on a double steal with Russell.
Conant got a run back in the second when Forte doubled, stole third and then scored on a throwing error. But Maine West avoided a huge inning when, with two outs and runners on first and second, Warriors second baseman Troy Johnson made a diving catch on a liner to end the threat.
Conant closed the gap to 3-2 in the fourth, but again Johnson helped bail them out.
The Cougars loaded the bases with no outs when Forte walked, Nicholas Roberts was hit by a pitch and McLaughlin singled. But Johnson made a nice play on a bouncer to his left to begin a double play. Alex Zimmerman then struck out the next batter to end the inning.
Conant kept up the pressure offensively and it finally paid off for the Cougars. They scored 5 runs in the fifth and never trailed from there.
James Brady singled to drive Matt Fauth, who walked and stole second and went to third on a sacrifice. Brady scored on Forte's long double to right. After an error, McLaughlin got his third hit of the day, driving in a pair. After a walk, McLaughlin scored on Patrick Smith's single.
Maine West came right back in its half of the inning to score 3 and close to 7-6.
The Warriors loaded the bases without a hit. Kyle Divelbiss drove in a pair of runs with a single. Dillon Ronan then followed with an RBI single.
Conant gave itself some breathing room in its next at bat, again scoring 5 runs.
Fauth tripled and scored on a wild pitch. Roberts had had a two-run double, McLaughlin had a sacrifice fly scoring Forte with his 4th run of the game. Dylan Drake then singled to score Roberts as the Cougars led 12-6.
Maine West pulled to 12-8 in their half of the 6th. Outlaw drove in a run with his second hit of the game and later scored on a throwing error.
Conant posted their third 5-run outburst in the seventh. Ryan Roberts, McLaughlin and Drake, who had 2 hits, each drove in a run in the inning.
Maine West got 2 hits each from Riportella, Outlaw and Russell and is hoping to quickly bounce back.
"We need to pick the ball up better," Maine West coach Joe Pederson said. "You give somebody that many more plate appearances and they will take advantage of it."