Olson, Jacobs hang on to upend Dundee-Crown

Kevin Olson's bat gave the Jacobs baseball team the lead in the top of the seventh inning Monday.

His arm kept it in the bottom half.

Olson doubled in the go-ahead run in the top of the seventh then nailed the potential game-tying run at the plate to end the game as the Golden Eagles beat host Dundee-Crown, 3-2, in a Fox Valley Conference Valley Division game at D-C.

"I kind of had a feeling of where the runner was, so I knew so I had to get it our catcher (Kevin Hubner)," Olson said. "Hopefully he was going to be able to put a tag on him."

Olson was hit in the face earlier this season during an intrasquad game. Jacobs coach Eric Sanders said Olson lost a few teeth and needed 40 stitches. After returning from the injury less than two weeks later, Olson was hitting in the bottom of the order. Recently the senior has been hitting the ball better and is now in the leadoff spot.

Monday he showed why. Olson reached all four times he came to the plate. He hit a solo home run, his third of the season, in the fifth to cut Dundee-Crown's lead to 2-1.

The Golden Eagles (16-13, 10-10) tied the game in the sixth. Greg Leasure doubled with runners on first and second. Pinch-runner Dillon O'Toole easily scored from second, but Nate Anderson was thrown out at the plate after a relay throw from Chargers second baseman Cory Volberding.

In the top of the seventh, Anthony Virgilio led off with a single. Olson attempted to bunt him over to second on the first pitch, but fouled it off. After taking a ball, Olson faked a bunt, pulled the bat back and hit a double down the left-field line, scoring Virgilio, to give Jacobs a 3-2 lead.

"(Olson) had a good game," Sanders said. "He has spent a lot of time in the cages with coach (Kirby) Smith."

The Chargers (10-20, 7-13), who got RBI from Scott Nowicke and Steven Schwartz earlier in the game, tried to make a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh. Dylan Kissack, who had 2 hits, walked and Jimmy Griffin ran for Kissack. Volberding hit a fly ball that hit the left-field wall and one-hopped to Jacobs left fielder Ben Albano. His relay gave Olson a chance to throw out Griffin, which he did for the final out.

"Obviously I probably shouldn't have sent the guy and given Zach (Vodicka) a chance with second and third to win it," Chargers coach Jon Sawyer said. "I guess that's the way it goes."

Leasure (5-3) picked up the victory, going the distance. He gave up 6 hits and 2 runs.

Vodicka (3-5) took the loss. He allowed 9 hits and 3 earned runs in 7 innings.