Pfister gives up just 5 hits to Warren as Elk Grove rolls

Elk Grove and Warren took completely different paths to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association summer Elite Eight tournament.

Going into the postseason the Grenadiers were scuffling at .500 while the Blue Devils were soaring with just 1 loss.

But in Tuesday's opening round of pool play, junior Kyle Pfister scattered just 5 hits and Elk Grove (17-11) won its sixth straight game, 7-1 over Warren (20-2) at Benedictine University in Lisle.

"We continued to ride the Kyle Pfister wave," said Elk Grove second baseman Danny Lopez, who was 2-for-2 with 2 RBI. "Most of it (our success) is a tribute to us doing the right things at the right time."

Pfister has been a central figure after allowing only 2 runs in 13 innings in last week's regional. The right-hander had his only 2 strikeouts in the seventh but issued only 1 walk and no runs after the first as he threw 60 of his 94 pitches for strikes.

"What a great game he pitched because he made them put the ball in play and was locating his fastball," said Elk Grove coach Terry Beyna. "He was aggressive in the zone and he attacks hitters.

"When you have a guy who gets ahead and throws strikes, he definitely gets better defense behind him. Guys like playing behind him because he keeps them in the game."

It showed as Elk Grove committed 1 harmless error as Lopez and shortstop Donny Duschinsky turned a pair of double plays. Center fielder Carl Sugihara made a pair of nice running catches going back in the gaps.

"I feel much more comfortable," Pfister said of his defense. "I know if the ball is hit in center, Carl Sugihara will get that ball. We're turning double plays."

And the Grens, who send Matt Martinski to face Prairie Ridge at 12:30 p.m. today at North Central College, continued to execute against highly regarded Warren lefty Sean Kennedy. Colin Semler started the game with a triple to the 402-foot sign in center and scored when Duschinsky reached on an error.

With the bases loaded and nobody out in the second, Lopez lined a 2-2 pitch to right-center for a tie-breaking 2-run single.

"I feel like our team is getting timely hitting and we've got a lot of momentum," Lopez said. "It's contagious."

An error on Lopez's fourth-inning sacrifice led to a run and led to RBI singles by Duschinsky and Martinski and a sacrifice fly by Ryan Martinski.

Warren, which plays Brother Rice at 10 a.m. today at North Central, got its run on a double by Kennedy and Chad Johnson's RBI single in the first. Matt Dowd went 2-for-3.

Brother Rice 8, Prairie Ridge 3: Coming in short-handed was no way to face big and powerful Brother Rice (27-3).

Eight underclassmen from Prairie Ridge (17-6), including Justin Henderson, Nolan Jacoby, Chad Ljunggren and Ross Vance, were still at a travel-team tournament in North Carolina. Coach Dave Haskins said six of the players were expected back for today's game.

"They can play as much travel ball as they want, but they were supposed to be here," Haskins said. "The seniors will take care of that."

Kevin Callahan, who is 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds, nearly hit for the cycle with a triple, double and single in 4 at-bats. Brother Rice also took advantage of 4 errors and 3 runners thrown out on the bases.

"They're a pretty good, solid-hitting team," Haskins said. "They're one of the better ones (we've seen) and Cary-Grove is right up there with them. They took advantage of our mistakes."

Dan Rowe and Kevin Kaczmarcki had 2 hits apiece, Jon Williams had an RBI double and Will Mack had a sacrifice fly for the Wolves. Kevin Pfaller pitched 2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief.

At North Central College: Waubonsie Valley beat Oak Park 9-2, and Lincoln-Way East beat Naperville Central 10-0 in 6 innings.