Glenbard North 5, West Chicago 1

A baseball season that got off to an agonizingly slow start for Glenbard North is starting to pick up steam.

The Panthers notched their third straight DuPage Valley Conference win with Thursday's 5-1 victory over West Chicago in Carol Stream.

Considering Glenbard North (5-10, 5-8) played only three games in the season's first three weeks, things are definitely looking up.

"We haven't been playing well the last couple of weeks, but now we've got a little winning streak going and it feels good," said winning pitcher Austin Safranski, who threw a 4-hitter with 7 strikeouts and no earned runs allowed.

"We're playing a little better defense, and we just feel more alive on the field and at the plate," he said. "We're more into it."

Glenbard North advanced to the Elite Eight of last year's summer state tournament and, after some early-season struggles, the Panthers are hoping they're heating up once again.

They spotted Safranski (3-3) all the runs he'd need in the bottom of the second inning when Nick Mishevich doubled home a run and Steve Cocat followed with a 2-run homer to left field off the high school building.

Ahead 3-0 at that point, the Panthers added a pair of fifth-inning insurance runs. Safranski scored on a triple and an error. Mishevich later singled home a run to boost the lead to 5-0.

West Chicago (7-12, 5-8), meanwhile, struggled to convert on opportunities. Two strikeouts prevented the Wildcats from scoring on a first-and-third chance in the fourth inning.

Barrett Serrato, who doubled to lead off the top of the sixth, scored West Chicago's lone run on a bases-loaded wild pitch.

"We just can't get anything cooking," said Wildcats coach John Walters. "Matt Andracki, our starter, deserved a little bit better. He's 0-4 on the season, and we just can't seem to get anything going when he's on the mound."

Despite committing 3 errors, Glenbard North flashed some leather throughout the game. Among two turned double plays was a rare 3-6-1 defensive combo.

In addition to Safranski helping his own cause with 7 strikeouts, 12 of the remaining 14 outs came on groundballs.

"If you look at (Safranski's) numbers he's not a strikeout pitcher, so getting seven is huge for him," said Panthers coach Mike Franzen. "And he got them in big spots."