Palatine riding hot bats to start season

Jeff Ryder doesn't pitch for the Palatine American Legion baseball team.

But at the rate the Blue Jays are going Ryder might be looking at postseason rotator cuff surgery.

"That's ridiculous," the Palatine coach said of waving home an average of 15 runners in a 6-0 start of games all in Cook County play.

Palatine actually cooled off its frenetic offensive pace as it beat Glenview only 11-0 in 5 innings Tuesday with Clynt Terry and Matt Johnsen combining on a 1-hitter.

Matt St. John continued his early-season tear with 3 RBI after just missing a double for the cycle and driving in 4 runs in a 12-4 win over Evanston.

St. John also homered in the first game of a double-header sweep with Portage Park by 14-4 and 23-6 scores in 5-inning games. Valparaiso-bound shortstop Ryan Shober went 7-for-7 with 2 homers and 2 doubles in the second game and Eastern Kentucky-bound Nick Addison hit 2 homers.

Shober also homered in a 13-3 win in 5 innings over Morton Grove and Alex Fett and Tyler Gregory had 2 hits.

"I'm just trying to stay out of their way and get as many guys as I can in the game," said Ryder. "This group of kids has gelled so well. They don't let the other teams breathe."

Playing a big part has been Gregory and Zenon Kolakowski, who went 2-for-2 and was on base 4 times against Glenview.

"I'm really pleased with the 'young guns,'" Ryder said of Kolakowski, who hits second, and Gregory, who bats ninth. "Both of them have really stepped up and done a great, great job."

But Palatine may have to play a little more small ball this weekend since it will be in a wood-bat tourney in Kenosha, Wis.

Making the pitches: Barrington allowed only 14 runs in a 4-1 start that included a 2-hitter by Sean Buchholz in a 3-0 win over Vernon Hills.

Tom Unak, Robby McDonnell, Mike Lidge and Ryan Nolan, who is going deeper in games after a spring arm injury, haven't surprised coach Jim Hawrysko.

"It's what I thought it would be," Hawrysko said. "They're not giving up the big inning."

They've also been helped by only 2 errors behind them. Right fielder Russ Zeisloft and third baseman Bryan Grabowski have been making big plays defensively.

Barrington has also won two eight-inning, 4-3 games as Tim Conroy homered against Deerfield and Zeisloft was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded against St. Charles.

Gus Handler and Johnny Day have been a big part of the offense. The test this weekend will be getting things going with wood bats in a tournament at Wilmette.

"It's a good challenge for the hitters," Hawrysko said. "Defensively it's a whole different challenge, too."

Also pitching in: A 6-1 start saw Arlington get quality pitching performances from Kyle Gaedele, Ted Metzger, Alex Lazarz, Brendan King and Dominic Pugliese.

Even in a 14-1 loss to Moline, Arlington coach Lloyd Meyer thought Dan Kelley pitched better than it appeared and was victimized by a lot of ground-ball singles.

"I'm really encouraged with the pitching," Meyer said. "They're throwing strikes. I didn't know how good Metzger was but I think he's going to be a good pitcher and Pugliese has improved."

Lazarz struggled this spring with Prospect but is going with more of a sidearm delivery as he beat Waukegan 6-0. Meyer said his last 2 innings were impressive.

"His ball was moving and was down and he was getting a lot of ground balls (12 outs)," Meyer said. "He's the first one to grab a rake and grab a hose, he's responded well to changing and he's got a good attitude.

"(Former Prospect teammate Tim) Scanlan caught him and said, 'Boy, his ball is really starting to run now.'"

Metzger beat Moline 3-2 as he allowed only 1 walk and Arlington won in the seventh on a triple by Scanlan and Jason Leblebijian's third hit of the game.

Meyer said Pugliese was "throwing harder than I've seen him throw" as he went 5 innings in a 6-3 win over Mt. Prospect where Shane Uhle homered. King threw a 5-hitter with 2 walks and 8 strikeouts in a 3-2 win over DePere (Wis.) as Kevin Serna had a 2-run triple and John Coen drove in a run.

Gaedele beat Elk Grove 14-4 with 4 strikeouts and got big outs at crucial times.

"He pitched well but I think he's going to get better," Meyer said.

Serna, Leblebijian and Brett Kay have been hitting well and Meyer said Uhle has been hitting better.

"We've got good speed and a bunch of guys who make contact," Meyer said. "We should always be a threat."

Next week will be big in Cook County play for Arlington as it plays at Wilmette on Monday and Northbrook on Wednesday and hosts Palatine on Tuesday.

On and off: Elk Grove has had layoffs of 6, 4, 2 and 3 days between games in a 3-1 start.

"We talked about that after the game (14-4 loss to Arlington) and I said I'm not too worried," said Elk Grove coach Brian Mucha. "Coming up we're going to get in a groove and see how Legion ball is. You can get on a hot streak and be hot for a week-and-a-half."

Elk Grove pitchers found out how hot other hitters can get in the loss to Arlington.

"Our pitchers left everything up and Arlington isn't going to swing at bad pitches," Mucha said. "We gave them pitches up and they hit them all over the field. Their fouls were hit hard and their outs were hit hard."

Mucha was impressed with how Derek Wojcik pitched in a 6-4 win over Gurnee. And he likes what he's seen from Chris D'Angelo, Kevin Miller, Dan Launhardt and Joey Vombek offensively.

"Against Arlington we hit the ball extremely well," Mucha said. "D'Angelo is at another level this year. He's stroking the ball pretty good right now."

Elk Grove has 5 games this weekend at the Wheaton tournament and plays Monday through Thursday next week.