Klebosits, St. Charles East handcuff Batavia
As Niko Klebosits transitions from the No. 3 starter for St. Charles East last year into what he hopes is a new role next spring as the team's ace, one thing the senior said he wants to develop is swagger.
Klebosits certainly came through with a confidence-booster Wednesday, pitching the Saints to a 1-0 win over Batavia in the semifinals of the St. Charles East regional.
St. Charles East (21-12-2) will play for the regional championship at 3 p.m. Thursday against St. Charles North or Geneva. The regional winner advances to next week's Phil Lawler summer state tournament at North Central College and Benedictine University.
St. Charles North's game with Geneva was postponed in the top of the third inning with the North Stars winning 3-0. That game will resume with that score at 1 p.m. Thursday.
"Coming into this year I have to have a lot of confidence, a little bit of swagger," said Klebosits, who tossed his complete game in just an hour and 15 minutes. "I had to fight through, had to do it for the team. We weren't putting up a lot of runs but you have to do what you have to do. You just have to keep throwing strikes and have confidence in your defense."
Batavia actually outhit the Saints 5-3. The Bulldogs got a gem of their own from right-hander Jake Robinson.
The Saints pushed across the game's only run in the bottom of the fifth. Thomas Adams walked and took second on a wild pitch, then scored on a clutch line single to left by Pat Griffin.
Griffin, the Saints' right fielder, also made one of the game's best defensive plays when he threw out a Batavia runner trying to stretch a single into a double.
"Both pitchers pounded the zone and great defense," Saints coach Len Asquini said. "This was a super duper solid game for both squads. We were fortunate again to come up with the one run."
The Saints also won their quarterfinal game Tuesday over West Aurora 1-0.
Batavia was coming off a 13-12 win over Waubonsie Valley on Tuesday with a seventh-inning rally, and the Bulldogs nearly did it again when Glenn Albanese singled and John Lemon walked to start the seventh.
Asquini debated pulling Klebosits but stuck with his southpaw, and the Saints ended the game with a double play on a hard-hit ball to shortstop John Carroll and then a lineout to right field.
"With guys on base and the game on the line he bucked up and made some big pitches," Asquini said. "We like to see that."
Batavia finished the summer at 13-7-1.
"We graduated a lot of seniors last year so most of our seniors who are now seniors only got JV innings," Batavia coach Alex Beckmann said. "We had some guys step it up, Lemon yesterday, (Tyler) Munoz has had a great summer and (Brent) Norkus, our pitching has been outstanding. I think we have a lot of things to build on."
Robinson, a three-sport athlete ready to turn his attention to tight end and linebacker for Batavia's football team, agreed.
"We would like it to go a different way today but looking forward in the future I think we'll be a real good baseball team," Robinson said.