Neuqua Valley wins series against South Elgin
Hot day, hotter bats.
A day after the Neuqua Valley baseball team lost a 1-run game against Bartlett to fall a game behind South Elgin in the loss column, the Wildcats drew even once again with a 13-4 pasting of the Storm in South Elgin Tuesday.
Capitalizing on winds blowing straight out to center field and temperatures approaching 90 degrees, the Wildcats attacked with 16 hits, including 3 home runs and 3 doubles. Chris Medhurst and Jeff Samuels hit back-to-back home runs to ignite a 5-run third inning, and Jack Amaro’s 3-run blast highlighted a 6-run sixth for Neuqua Valley (16-6-1, 8-6-1).
“I’d been struggling lately, so the warmer weather was a nice change of pace,” said Medhurst, who went 2-for-4 and hit his second home run of the season. “The heat gave us a good spark on the ball.”
The win tipped the Upstate Eight Conference series in Neuqua Valley’s favor. The teams split a doubleheader Saturday. South Elgin (17-6-1, 11-6-1) leads the Valley Division of the UEC by percentage points.
“We had to win this to keep our chance of conference alive,” said winning pitcher Nick Blackburn (3-2), who allowed 4 earned runs on 5 hits, struck out 9 and walked 2 hitters in 6 innings.
The Wildcats jumped to a 5-0 lead in the third inning against Storm starting pitcher Eric Stazy (0-2), who allowed 7 earned runs on 13 hits in 5 innings. Following the solo shots by Medhurst and Samuels, Nick Oleskowicz hit a two-out, 2-run single and Tanner Giesel’s run-scoring double made it 5-0.
South Elgin rallied in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 5-3. Andrew Weedman’s RBI single preceded a sacrifice fly by Nate Halas. Kenny Lowden scored the Storm’s third run on a passed ball.
The score was 7-4 in the sixth inning when the Wildcats broke it open. Batting for Jeff Samuels with a 2-strike count and two outs, Joey Grabarits grounded to first base. The throw home was high and led to another run for a 9-4 lead.
“That was a great at-bat by Joey Grabarits,” Neuqua Valley coach Robin Renner said. “With 2 strikes he got that run in and that really opened it up.”
Amaro followed with a 3-run blast to left-center field off reliever Ryan Ford.
“Location was not where we want it to be,” South Elgin coach Jim Kating said. “A pitch up will cost you on a day like today, and it did.”
The Storm played without shortstop John Menken. The senior aggravated a hamstring in a win over Lake Park last week and remains questionable for games this week, Kating said.
Neuqua Valley returns to action with a home game against Bartlett today at 4:30 p.m. South Elgin will host Metea Valley Thursday in the opener of a 3-game series.