Bartlett sophomore Nowak stymies Batavia
Welcome to varsity baseball, Colin Nowak.
Called up by Bartlett coach Chris Pemberton last week, the sophomore right-hander fired a complete game at Batavia and helped himself at the plate in a 9-4 win Tuesday.
It was just second varsity start for Nowak, who lost to Elgin last week in his debut. Nowak didn’t hit in that game, but Pemberton put him in the lineup against the Bulldogs and watched Nowak go 3-for-3 including the go-ahead 2-run home run in the third inning.
“If there was something to show us that was definitely in both aspects a great job by him,” Pemberton said.
So much for the transition to varsity baseball taking time. Nowak only allowed 1 earned run. He had great command of his fastball and changeup early before locating his curve as the game went on, and needed just 91 pitches to finish the game.
“Getting pulled up was pretty exciting,” said Nowak, who fanned two and walked one. “Everything is going good so far. I didn’t realize it was supposed to be (easy) but it seemed that way today.”
Batavia (3-6, 1-4) got off to a great start thanks to catcher Jay Clark. Bulldog starter Mickey Walsh walked the first two hitters and Clark promptly threw them both out trying to steal second.
“It was nice to start out the game helping out the pitchers,” Clark said. “Throw those first guys out, get two outs and get out of the inning.”
Clark then gave Batavia a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a 2-run, 2-out single to left field, a rally set up when Bartlett dropped an infield pop-up.
The Hawks (4-8, 1-4) committed 3 early errors before settling down.
“The start looked like some of the earlier games we played this season but we responded,” Pemberton said.
The Hawks tied the game 2-2 in the second. No. 9 hitter Ben Grear lined a 2-run single to right after Nowak and Giacomo Visconti singled to start the rally.
After Steve Patterson, Batavia’s most consistent hitter according to coach Matt Holm, put the Bulldogs ahead 3-2 with an RBI single in the second, Bartlett scored 3 in the third to go ahead to stay.
David Mutter’s triple to deep center started the rally. Nowak delivered the big blow, a 2-run home run over the fence in left center.
“I didn’t realize it, I hadn’t looked up until I saw the kid climbing the fence when I rounded first,” Nowak said.
Nowak pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. Bartlett padded its lead with 4 runs in the fifth on RBI hits by Joey Miceli, Robert Smith and Grear.
Those three, Bartlett’s No. 9 hitters, combined to go 5-for-11 with 5 RBI and 2 runs. Grear finished 2-for-4 with 3 RBI.
“Ben Grear, he had good approach. He wasn’t trying to yank the ball,” Pemberton said. “We responded offensively. We had much better quality at-bats overall. We hit the ball in some gaps and kept it up.”
Walsh took the loss for Batavia allowing 5 runs in his 3 innings. Juniors Austin Higgins and Nick Pappas relieved.
After posting a 2.00 ERA in their first five games, Batavia’s staff has had a couple rough games, though Ben Allison did pitch well in a loss to Waubonsie Valley Monday.
“We’re in a little valley,” Holm said. “Unfortunately we couldn’t string anything together. That’s the way it’s been the last few days. One day we’ll get great pitching, and we can’t put any runs together. Then we’ll come out and get 11, 12 hits and our pitching is down.”
Sophomore center fielder Rob Bowman led Batavia’s 8-hit attack with 2 singles. Danny Seiton walked and went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
“We’re not putting things together as a team,” Holm said. “Once that happens I think we can be pretty darn good. We have to show it.”