Baseball: Elk Grove, Wheeling battle to seven-inning deadlock
After the weather postponed baseball for over week for both Elk Grove and Wheeling, the teams were raring to go at it Tuesday in Wheeling. But just like the previous days, there was no decision as the teams played to a 7-7 tie in a game suspended after 7 innings for darkness.
The game will be completed at Wheeling on Thursday.
"Credit to our kids to come back and tie it up," said Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna, whose team tied the game with a two-out single by Zach Mahoney in the Grenadiers' last at-bat. "It was a tough position to be in with the cold weather here. It was two teams that battled and didn't want to give in. Now we will have to figure out when we can finish."
Both coaches expect the completion to be important in the long run, as the MSL East looks competitive top to bottom.
"I expect it will be a race all season long," Wheeling coach Jason Wieder said. "I expect every game to be competitive, just like this one is here today. Hopefully we can get the job done when we resume play."
Elk Grove, which came into the game with a 2-4-1 record, appeared to be in control early.
The Grens jumped to a 2-0 lead in the first when Zach Schwartz powered an opposite field 2-run homer over the left field fence.
Wheeling, which was playing its first game since March after returning from its Florida trip, rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the first.
Andy Shover doubled home Drew Roberts, who also had doubled. Shover then scored on an Elk Grove error.
The Grens jumped back in front in their next at-bat. Mahoney and Sebastian Garza singled and Nick Hofmann walked to load the bases. They all came flying home on a two-out double by Joshua Periaswamy to make it 5-2.
Eric Konrath came on in relief for Wheeling in the third and handcuffed Elk Grove for the next 4-plus innings, allowing the Wildcats to climb back into the game.
Wheeling pushed over a run in the third as Shover, who had singled, came on to score on a fielder's choice by Kevin Pavia. Elk Grove got that run back when Hofmann walked, stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-3.
Wheeling, which had not been outside since their return from Florida, used some lessons they learned there to pull ahead.
"We really came together as team on our trip," Wieder said. "We also learned how to battle."
Wheeling closed to 6-5 thanks to a double by DJ Godlewski, a walk to Kyle Bullock, an Elk Grove error and a fielder's choice RBI by Shover.
Both teams got out of jams in the fifth and failed to score.
Elk Grove had runners on second and third with one out, but Konrath induced a pair of groundballs to end the threat. Wheeling had the bases loaded with no outs, but Hofmann got a strikeout, a short flyout and a fielder's choice to close out the inning undamaged.
Wheeling did get its act together in the sixth. Cade Zalewski had an RBI single and Cade Kaplan drove in the go-ahead run on another fielder's choice to make it 7-6.
Elk Grove salvaged a tie thanks to a double by Ryne Singsank and the big hit by Mahoney to give both teams more baseball at a later date.
"Everyone was eager to get out," Beyna said. "The conference season is so short and both teams were going after this game like it was most important game of the year."
Wieder said both teams fought all the way.
"It was a crazy game," Wieder said. "There were a lot of opportunities for both teams. Some of the pitchers got out of some tough jams there. Elk Grove was tough with two outs."