Joliet maintains winning ways at Harper

After starting the season 3-12, visiting Joliet Junior College (17-17) had gone 14-4 in its last 18 baseball games. The Wolves continued their winning trend Tuesday, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first against host Harper College and going on to an 11-2 win in the first game of a scheduled North Central Community College Conference doubleheader.

"We haven't been consistent enough," said Harper coach Cliff Brown. "You got to throw strikes. As a pitcher, the odds are on your side."

Harper cut its deficit in half as Tyler Crussen scored on a one-out single by Roy Pettigill (St. Viator).

Joliet sophomore catcher TJ Condon plated a pair of runs with a second-inning double, and with the Wolves' offense clicking, Harper was forced into a pitching change when right-handed starter Clint O'Neal suffered a bruise on his right shin from a batted ball on a wicked line drive.

Another right-hander, Austin Royce, stepped in, but Joliet's bats kept up the pressure. Jake Drada provided another 2-run double, giving Joliet a 6-1 advantage.

Royce pitched a clean third inning, and Harper's Jake Miller followed in the bottom half with a leadoff double. Ryan Nudd then collected an RBI when the Wolves' center fielder lost the ball in the sun.

A single by Matt Hayes scored another run as the Hawks, who started the day 6-15 overall and 4-8 in the N4C, closed to within 6-3.

The big inning for Joliet was the sixth, as the Wolves added 5 more runs. The key hit was a 3-run homer from Condon.

"We got guys with two strikes," Brown said. "We haven't been able to put them away consistently."