Marmion’s Tarter mows down Geneva

He may not have been at his best but Marmion’s Tim Tarter was plenty good enough Tuesday afternoon.

The senior southpaw struck out 11, walked 2 and allowed a pair of runs (one earned) on 4 hits in a solid 6-inning stint against visiting Geneva.

His teammates made sure that Tarter’s hard work wouldn’t go to waste, as the Cadets (2-2) snapped a 2-2 tie with a 3-run bottom half of the sixth on the way to a 5-2 nonconference victory in Aurora.

“I really didn’t feel like I had my best stuff though,” said the UIC-bound Tarter, who fanned 5 of the first 7 batters he faced. “I just went out there and battled through it all.”

The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder recorded his first victory in his second start of the season.

“He wasn’t throwing as hard as he does sometimes but it’s a tribute to him to be able to fight through it and take care of six innings,” said Cadets coach Dave Rakow. “His velocity wasn’t quite where it will be once he’s in midseason form but he’s learning how to pitch.

“It was a really good outing for Timmy, and I think he’s going to continue to get better as the year goes on.”

Tarter made a believer out of Geneva coach Matt Hahn.

“He’s a real good pitcher,” said Hahn. “He was effective.”

Marmion capitalized on some early wildness from Vikings starting pitcher Mike Monaghan to take a 1-0 lead. After a 2-out single by Kyle Kozak and Tarter’s walk, back-to-back wild pitches allowed courtesy runner Zach Zielinski to come across with the game’s first run.

Monaghan, who walked 5, allowed just 1 more base hit and an unearned run through his final 4 innings of work.

“He settled down after that first inning,” said Hahn. “That could be opening-day jitters, too. He settled down real nice and I think he’s going to have a real nice year on the mound.”

After the Vikings tied it in the third, Tarter’s fifth-inning RBI groundout once again gave the Cadets a 1-run lead.

But the Vikings pushed the tying run across in the sixth, as Monaghan led off with a single and Chris Hipchen doubled before Matt Williams’ sacrifice fly sent courtesy runner Jordon Touro home to make it 2-2.

“We got the sacrifice fly when we needed it and we got a bunt down when we needed it — those are positive signs,” said Hahn.

Junior reliever Ryan Millan (0-1) walked Steve Bryant and Chris Simon to lead off the sixth and later hit Connor Riley with a pitch to load the bases with 1 out.

On a 1-0 count, Mitch Sterne laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to drive in the go-ahead run.

“I thought it would be coming,” admitted Sterne. “He (Millan) threw one right down the pipe, which made it easier for me to get it down.”

“It was a good situation for it,” said Rakow. “We had our leadoff hitter up and he’s a great bunter.”

Simon worked a scoreless seventh for the Cadets, who won for the second consecutive day after a 0-2 start.

Geneva will try to get back on track when it Oswego East and West Aurora this week.

“We needed a game to kind of gauge where we’re at,” said Hahn. “While we struggled at the plate and our pitchers struggled to throw strikes at times, I thought we competed really well.

“One game doesn’t make the season.”