Grobelny shows grit as Wauconda tops Wheeling

Wauconda's Jake Grobelny stymied host Wheeling in their nonconference baseball matchup Saturday.

The junior right-hander allowed just 1 hit while striking out three. He also flashed some leather, starting a key double play as the Bulldogs rolled past the Wildcats 13-1 in 5 innings.

But it wasn't all perfect for Grobelny and Wauconda. After pitching 4 solid innings, Grobelny was hit by a pitch in his right wrist. He left the game and was likely to have it x-rayed.

"It really hurts right now," said Grobelny, who had a large ice pack on his wrist. "I will probably have it looked at."

Grobelny was still thrilled at his performance on the bump.

"It all started in the bullpen," Grobelny said. "I was feeling pretty good. And my teammates were making plays behind me and that helped as well."

But things are always better when you help yourself, and Grobelny did just that.

After his team took a 4-0 lead in the top of the first, Wheeling loaded the bases on an error, a single by Jake Jordan and a walk. But Grobelny made a nice defensive play on a slow roller to get a force at home. He then followed up with a comebacker for a 1-2-3 double play to end the Wildcats' only major threat.

"I though he pitched a great game," Wauconda coach Bill Sliker said. "When the pitcher is on like that and you are scoring some runs, it makes the game a lot of fun."

Wauconda (4-5) had lots of fun on offense. The Bulldogs banged out 10 hits and had 20 base runners. Grobelny, Kyle Harmon, Joe Schaer and sophomore Jacob Bicknase each had 2 hits.

"Playing (Friday) and winning gave us some confidence," aid Sliker, whose team beat Lake Zurich on Friday. "The weather is beginning to cooperate and we will be able to string some games together. So that will help."

Wauconda jumped all over Wheeling (5-5) in the Bulldogs' first at-bat, scoring 4 times. Harmon had a 2-run single, another run scored on an error and Schaer had a RBI single.

"I have been getting on base the last two games," said Harmon, who has been able to get on base in his last 6 at-bats. "Our team is coming along real well. We are starting to bind together as a team."

Wauconda broke the game open in the top of the fourth when the Buldogs sent 10 batters to the plate and score 6 runs.

After Jack Weller score on a wild pitch, Grobley had an RBI single scoring Bicknase, who'd doubled off the left field fence. Schaer nailed a triple down the right field line and then scored on Trevor Sefcik's double.

"It was an outside pitch that I just took to right," said Schaer, who had 3 RBI. "We have been working a lot on that and I was able to do that today.

Wauconda added 3 more runs in the seventh. Wheeling avoided the shutout thanks to singles by Martin Falkiner and Nathan Cooney, along with an error by Wauconda.

"We just came out flat," Wheeling coach Jason Wieder said. "We didn't capitalize in the first inning and it just snowballed from there."