Baseball: Huntley tops CL Central for series win

Huntley 4, Crystal Lake Central 2: Brad Maurer's double keyed a 3-run first inning and the Red Raiders never surrendered the lead in the rubber game of the Fox Valley Conference series. Junior Kyle Morgan limited CL Central (4-4, 1-2) to 2 earned runs on 5 hits and a walk and struck out 3 in 5⅓ innings to earn the win. Reliever Logan DeWulf did not allow a hit in 1⅓ scoreless innings to earn the save.

Hampshire, Dundee-Crown split: Dundee-Crown won 5-3 in a Fox Valley Conference game that was suspended on Tuesday and resumed in the bottom of the sixth with the same score. Scott Wojcik pitched a scoreless seventh to preserve the win for Erik Hedmark. Hampshire (5-4-1, 1-2) won the regularly scheduled game 9-1 behind the strong pitching of sophomore Matt Jachec. The right-hander held previously unbeaten Dundee-Crown (5-1, 2-1) to an earned run on 1 hit and 2 walks in 5⅔ innings. He struck out 7. Kevin Michaelsen (RBI) went 3-for-4 with a double, one of 11 Hampshire hits.

Jacobs 3, Hoffman Estates 0: Pitchers Cory Dennison, Justin Lavrisa, Austin Asplen and Dylan Cummings (save) combined to shut out the Hawks on 3 hits in nonconference play. Mike Addante drove in 2 runs with groundouts and Ian Oreskovich and Liam Oreskovich each doubled to lead Jacobs (7-1).

Crystal Lake South 1, McHenry 0: Junior Kyle Lang outdueled NIU-bound senior Michael Lasiewicz in a Fox Valley Conference nail biter. Lang threw a 99-pitch, 2-hitter with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts to better Lasiewicz, who limited the Gators to a lone earned run on 3 hits and 7 walks. He struck out 7. CL South drew four straight walks in the top of the fifth to score its only run. It was the 200th career win for 10th-year coach Brian Bogda, whose Gators improved to 9-0 overall, 3-0 in the FVC.

Burlington Central 7, Marengo 4: Josh Noeska went 2-for-2 with a double, 2 walks and an RBI, Matt Termini went 2-for-3 and drive in a run and Nick Matijevic doubled and drove in a run for Burlington Central (7-1, 1-0) in the Kishwaukee River Conference opener. Winning pitcher Noeska allowed 5 runs (4 earned) on 5 hits and 2 walks and struck out 7 in 5⅓ innings

Aurora Central Catholic 16, Wheaton Academy 3: Hunter Darnell, Michael Bieterman and Johnny Belskis (3-for-3) each doubled to lead an 11-hit attack in a five-inning Metro Suburban Conference win. Four pitchers combined to hold the Warriors to 5 hits and ACC (10-1-1) capitalized on 5 errors.

Marmion 5, Geneva 0: Brandon McPherson handcuffed the Vikings for 5 innings, holding them scoreless on 1 hit and 6 walks while striking out 7. Senior Collin Gibson allowed only 1 hit in 2 scoreless innings to close out the nonconference win. Chase Stanke had the only RBI for Marmion (4-2), which benefitted from 5 errors by Geneva (5-3).

St. Charles North 8, Batavia 1: The North Stars outhit the Bulldogs 12-4 in the Upstate Eight River opener, thanks to doubles from Anthony Delisi (2-for-3, 2 RBI), Tyler Mettetal (1-for-4) and Steve Hamer (2-for-3, 2 RBI). Sam Faith went 2-for-4 and drove in a run. Winning pitcher Ryan Litavecz held Batavia (1-3, 0-1) to an earned run on 4 hits and a walk in 4⅔ innings. He struck out 6 for St. Charles North (5-1, 1-0).

St. Charles East 8, Kaneland 1: The Saints (5-3) prevailed in nonconference action behind Steve Abruzzo (3-for-3, 2 RBI) and John Carroll (double, 2 RBI). Winning pitcher Niko Klebosits held Kaneland (3-3) to an earned run on 4 hits in 4 innings, walked 2 and struck out 2.

Elgin Academy 14, Northridge Prep 4: Ethan Hill homered twice and Ian Wilson (3 RBI) and Cameron Agno (2 RBI) also homered as part a 14-hit barrage that lifted the Hilltoppers (2-0) to a five-inning Independent School League win. Winning pitcher Jonathan Cruz struck out 8 and walked 1 in 4 hitless innings. Cruz also went 3-for-4 with a double and scored twice.