Grayslake North's Brandon Schroth helps ground Rams
When Grayslake North's Brandon Schroth pitches, his shortstop Kevin Staszczak can expect to get as many groundballs as there are consonants in his last name.
Staszczak was busy Friday, and that was good for the Knights.
Schroth recovered from a rough start to throw 6 effective innings - thanks in part to his defense - and help lead Grayslake North to an 8-5 win over visiting Grayslake Central.
Staszczak played flawlessly in the field, showing good range and an accurate arm in recording 6 assists, as Grayslake North improved to 7-16 overall and 2-4 in the Fox Valley Conference Fox Division.
Joe Bowes played well at third base for Grayslake North.
Grayslake Central (14-11, 2-5), which dropped its second game in as many days, hosts Grayslake North at 10 a.m. Saturday in the second of the teams' three meetings this season.
Schroth had only 1 strikeout, but the senior right-hander recorded 9 groundball outs. Two of the 5 runs he allowed were unearned.
"He was hitting his spots and he got all these groundouts," said Staszczak, who forms half the Knights' sophomore middle-infield duo along with second baseman Matt Bergstrom. "We just made the plays out there."
Schroth settled down after Central scored twice in the first and three more times in the second, pounding out 7 hits in the process. Sean Seiler had a 2-run single for the Rams in the first, while Jackson White (2-for-4) had the big blow in the second with an RBI single to center and two-base error.
Schroth hit Mike Gentile (1-for-2, double) and walked Seiler (1-for-2) to start the third. While Schroth was enduring his troubles on the mound, Knights coach Andy Strahan paid him a visit.
"He told me to calm down and use my legs," Schroth said. "It helped me a lot when he came out there. I just took a deep breath and started hitting my spots."
That's what Schroth has been doing lately.
"Brandon was a guy that tried to throw everything through the backstop, and he's started to change speeds the last couple of starts," Strahan said. "He's really done a nice job of throwing his curveball a little slower and mixing in some changes. He's still feeling those pitches out a little bit, but he's definitely become more of a pitcher than the thrower he was last year."
The result for Schroth has been fewer strikeouts and more work for his infielders. Which hasn't been a bad thing considering how the Knights have been gobbling up the ball lately.
"I used to throw a hard breaking slider, and then I changed to a curve/changeup," Schroth said. "Now I'm getting more groundballs."
North scored twice in the fifth to snap a 5-5 tie. Rams reliever Matt Murphy wild-pitched in the go-ahead run, and Staszczak, who was on base four times, provided an insurance run with an RBI single.
Schroth (2 RBI), leadoff-hitter Drew Doering and Matt Robinson (2 doubles) each had 2 hits for North. Ed Tatera tripled and Bowes belted a double.
Central had only 1 hit after the second inning, with North lefty Seth Foster pitching the seventh for the save.
"Our intensity at the plate is not consistent, and that's just kind of what you saw," Rams coach Troy Whalen said. "We just throw away a lot of at-bats, and that's what we've done all year."