Rektorski saves day for Neuqua Valley at St. Charles East

Upon entering the game in the third inning with his team behind 4-3, Neuqua Valley's Connor Rektorski knew what he had to do.

"I came in knowing I'd come in with a lot of runners on," said Rektorski. "When I was warming up, I was like, start going from the stretch because it's going to be a tight game."

Rektorski inherited a bases-loaded, 2-out situation and worked out of the jam, thanks in part to a superb defensive play from shortstop Kevin Hutt, who dove to snag a grounder off the bat of St. Charles East's Austin Regelbrugge and threw to second baseman Nolan Hicks for the third out in the third.

Rektorski (2-0) went on to pitch 4 more scoreless innings of relief during the Wildcats' 5-4 Upstate Eight Conference River Division victory over the Saints (12-8, 7-6) Saturday in St. Charles.

"He throws strikes," Neuqua Valley coach Robin Renner said of Rektorski. "He can throw at least two and sometimes three pitches for strikes. That just makes such a world of difference when you can do that. It doesn't matter how hard you throw - it really doesn't."

Rektorski received solid support from his defense, particularly middle infielders Hicks and Hutt.

Hicks made a diving stab of a hard-hit grounder off the bat of Austin Gift for the second out in the fifth and had a running catch of a foul pop to end the sixth, while Hutt made a bare-hand pickup and throw to first for the second out in the seventh.

"I trust my infield and I trust my outfield," said Rektorski. "They're everything and I need them. I've got to let the defense do the job."

"Coming into the season, I thought our strength was that we could defend," said Renner. "Our outfielders are amazing as well."

Neuqua Valley, which extended its winning streak to 10, took the lead for good with a pair of fourth-inning runs.

Tyler Tesmond tied the game with an RBI double and Alex DiFranco reached on an infield error as Zach Herdman scampered home with what turned out to be the game-winning run.

Saints coach Len Asquini praised the Wildcats (17-4, 12-2) for their defensive play while his team suffered its sixth straight loss.

"I thought we hit some balls very well here and they made some big plays," said Asquini. "Credit to them - their defense was solid."

Hutt's third-inning web gem may have been the biggest play of them all.

"If that ball sneaks through, we're going to score another run and I was going to wave the next guy (home) and it would have been hopefully two (runs)," said Asquini. "That was a big play."

Junior reliever Stephen Podany, who came on in relief of starter Matt Breidigan in the fourth, worked 4 scoreless innings for the Saints.

"Stevie came out and did a super job," said Asquini. "He kept us right there and gave us a chance. We had some opportunities but again just didn't come up with the big hit at the big time."

The teams left the field headed in opposite directions from a momentum standpoint.

"It has been a nice week," Renner said of his team's 5-0 week that included a 3-2, 9-inning win over St. Charles North and a 3-game sweep of South Elgin.

"We're happy this week is over," said Asquini, whose team plays a rescheduled game against Metea Valley Monday.