Neuqua Valley 1, Waubonsie Valley 0
A 1-0 final felt like a good bet in Thursday's baseball game between Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley.
The only question was who'd score it?
It turned out to be Neuqua Valley and ace left-hander Ian Krol, who held off the Warriors 1-0 in Naperville to take the first of three Upstate Eight Conference games between the rivals.
Krol (2-1) struck out 12 and allowed 2 hits and 4 walks over 6 innings to outduel the Warriors' Russell Schofield (0-3), who scattered 5 hits while striking out six and walking two. Rob Skowronski pitched a scoreless seventh to earn the save.
"We didn't hit the ball very good, but we haven't seen a pitcher that can throw a curveball for a strike in a while," said Krol, who topped out at 90 mph with his fastball. "It was pretty hard for us. These guys can play."
The lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when the Wildcats (14-3, 10-1) strung together consecutive hits -- the only time either team had multiple hits in an inning. After Schofield struck out the first two batters Bryan Berryman doubled to left-center field.
Berryman moved to third on a passed ball and Ken Vrtis singled him home.
"It was almost too late," said Wildcats coach Robin Renner. "We're very lucky to come out of here with a win."
That run was the only difference between two fine pitching performances. Schofield needed just 80 pitches to get through 6 innings.
"I was hitting my spots, hitting the corners," Schofield said. "My curveball was working with the wind. The fastball I could get over for strikes. I just really needed to work ahead, and that's what I did today."
Waubonsie Valley (7-10, 5-5) squandered some chances at the plate, stranding eight runners, including five in scoring position.
"We told the kids it'd come down to who could execute, and they got the big hit when it mattered," said Waubonsie Valley coach Dan Fezzuoglio. "Russell was great today, and I'm so proud of him. It was exciting to see how he threw the ball, and that's encouraging. We're just hoping to continue to improve and get better and keep competing."
Neuqua Valley notched its seventh straight UEC win and today faces a road game against St. Charles North, which handed the Wildcats their lone conference loss on April 15. The Waubonsie Valley series concludes Saturday morning with a doubleheader in Aurora.