Baseball: Prospect outslugs Bartlett
The Prospect baseball team stayed undefeated on Wednesday by winning its third straight 1-run game, though the Knights' 13-12 victory at Bartlett bore little resemblance to their previous two wins.
Prospect (5-0) entered the nonconference matchup on the heels of Monday's 2-1 walk-off win against St. Charles East in nine innings and Tuesday's 1-0 win at Huntley.
Proving they are just as comfortable in a shootout as a pitcher's duel, the Knights overcame 4 errors by collecting 11 hits against four Bartlett right-handers, highlighted by a 3-run home run from junior left-hander Grant Zellmer and 2-run blasts by sophomore Ryan Howe and senior Travis Gates.
"I knew we had it in us," Howe said of the offensive breakout. "We hadn't been scoring much the past couple of games, but we really turned it on today and came up clutch when we needed to."
No one was more clutch than Gates. With his team trailing 10-8 in the top of the sixth with one man on and one away, Prospect's No. 2 hitter tied the game with a 2-run home run to center field off Bartlett reliever Matt Johnson (0-1), igniting a 5-run outburst to regain the lead. The go-ahead run scored from third base on a wild pitch and Howe made it a 3-run cushion with his first varsity home run.
"We have a bunch of competitors on our team," said Gates, who went 3-for-5 with 4 RBI. "We really love the game of baseball and we want to compete. We have a lot of talent on the team at a lot of positions. People don't recognize it yet, but we're going to be a good team. People should watch out."
Bartlett closed the gap to 13-12 with 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth, but Prospect reliever Brendan O'Brien (1-0) coaxed a fly out from pinch hitter Tripp Paris to strand the tying run at second. The right-hander pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the win.
The Knights used a 6-run second inning to build an 8-2 advantage only to see Bartlett (2-4) take the lead with an 8-run fourth. First baseman Mike Prang keyed Bartlett's big inning with a 3-run home run.
"Down 8-2, our approach was to piece by piece get back in the game," said Prang, who finished 2-for-3 with 5 RBI. " We came in early and took some extra (batting) reps and the bats really came alive."
Prang's 3-run homer alone matched the Hawks' run production in preceding losses to Schaumburg (4-2), Metea Valley (14-1) and Waubonsie Valley (3-0).
"The comeback is nice, but I'm glad the way our team responded after 3 tough games," Bartlett coach Chris Pemberton said. "To be involved with that kind of fun game and comeback, I think, proves we've got something to work with the rest of the way through."
Leadoff man Grant Whitebloom, Zellmer and Howe (3 RBI) each had 2 hits for Prospect.
Bartlett leadoff man Cameron Mays went 2-for-4 with a triple and scored twice, Brad Nowak finished 2-for-3 and drove in a run, Shane Donovan went 2-for-4 and Austin Hilvert drove in 2 runs.