Saints' 11-run 1st sinks Batavia
Take one for the team?
St. Charles East took one for entire city of St. Charles Wednesday. Maybe all of the Tri-Cities, too.
The Saints reached base six times by hit batter, including four times in an 11-run first inning that carried them to a 13-9 victory over Batavia in the St. Charles East regional semifinals. The regional is part of the annual Phil Lawler Summer Classic.
The Saints (30-3) will play Prairie Ridge (23-21) at 4 p.m. Thursday for the regional championship. The winner advances to next week's state tournament at North Central College and Benedictine University and an opening 10 a.m. game Monday.
"Love it," Saints coach Dave Haskins said of the 6 Saints who reached first getting hit by a pitch. "We talk about turning in and having the mentality it is our plate and when we are pitching it is our plate. They have improved a ton on that. If they are going to pitch in then we will have the courage to wear pitches."
Saints cleanup hitter Tony Rallo, who also stroked a 2-run double, took 2 of the hit by pitches.
"Coach is always saying 'wear pitches,' it's going to make us better," Rallo said. "I have to get out of the way so I might as well turn in and take the pitch."
Batavia (19-9) got off to a great start against Saints ace Wes Benjamin in the first inning. Garrett Whalen coaxed a walk, stole second and scored on an error.
Jay Clark fouled off 5 pitches before stroking an RBI single after a 10-pitch at-bat, giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead against Benjamin with a scout from the Boston Red Sox on hand watching Benjamin hit between 84 and 87 miles an hour on his radar gun.
"Our guys showed they can hit," Batavia coach Matt Holm said. "They have hit all summer."
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the game got away in the bottom of the first. Of the first 14 batters the Saints sent to the plate, 13 reached base and 11 scored.
"Nothing against them, they did absolutely what they need to do," Holm said of the hit batters. "Quite honestly that is the most embarrassing inning I have ever seen."
Ryan Shaffrey and Jordan Hayes started the rally with doubles. After Luke Rojas reached on an infield single, the Saints followed with a stretch of hit batter, strikeout, hit batter, single by Nicholas Erickson, error and walk.
Holm went to his bullpen at that point but the nightmare inning continued. Shaffrey's single gave him 2 hits in the inning, Hayes walked and Rojas was hit by another pitch, setting up Rallo for his 2-run double.
Haskins used the big inning to take Benjamin out of the game and save him for the regional championship.
Benjamin picked up the save Tuesday against Kaneland and threw 32 pitches in the first inning Wednesday.
The left-hander, who in addition to attracting MLB scouts has a list of top five colleges Arizona, Stanford, Arizona State, Michigan and Kansas, moved to right field after the first inning. In the sixth he collided with center fielder Shaffrey on a rocket hit by Nick Beltrano.
Benjamin stayed down for several minutes after the play - which Shaffrey hauled in for one of his several fine catches - but should be OK.
"He was fine, just got the wind knocked out of him and cut lip," Haskins said.
Jon Martini, C.J. Montgomery and Johnny Hondlik followed Benjamin, with Montgomery picking up the win. Batavia scored in six of the seven innings and battled all the way back to put the tying run at the plate in the fifth before the Saints escaped the inning with a 12-8 lead.
Clark led Batavia's attack with 3 hits, leadoff hitter Robbie Bowman and Whalen both had 2 hits and Sam Burnoski stroked a 2-run double for the Bulldogs, who were missing red hot Braden Hrack who had to work.
"I'll give our guys credit for battling back," Holm said. "I'll give Steven Patterson great credit for coming in and pitching like he did."
Patterson entered in the second inning and held the Saints to 2 runs over 5 innings. From the third through fifth innings he gave up just 1 hit.
Montgomery improved to 6-0 for the Saints, who got most of their production from their top four hitters. Shaffrey, Hayes, Rojas and Rallo combined for 7 of the team's 10 hits.
"That (11-run first inning) took the pressure off us and we can save Wes for tomorrow," Rallo said. "We are having a great summer. The new guys are coming in and stepping up. I'm trying to step into a role as a leader. It would be awesome to make it to state but we are just out here trying to get better."
Batavia's Alumni Day: Sunday, July 25 is the seventh annual Denny Holm Bulldog Alumni Baseball Day.
The event will begin at 1 p.m. at the Batavia field. After the game, River View Banquets in Batavia will serve a meal ($10 per plate; $5 for children 10 years and under). The afternoon is geared toward the whole family with music and "bags" games and prizes. Contact Lori Holm at (630) 887-7269 for more information.