Witanen on hittin’ tear for Prospect
Nico Witanen just kept on hittin’ for Prospect during its three-game trip to Florida.
The senior second baseman and leadoff man had 12 official at-bats as the Knights narrowly missed winning all three games. And Witanen just missed a perfect trip with 11 hits.
“He’s just been dead-on,” said Prospect coach Ross Giusti. “He really ignited our offense and gives us another dimension.”
Witanen went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI in a 10-1 win over Cypress Lake (Fla.) and in a 10-2 win over South Fort Myers (Fla.). He went 3-for-4 with an RBI in a 5-4 loss to Naples (Fla.) where Giusti said a phenomenal catch in left-center field with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh robbed Brad Gerdes of a game-winning hit.
Jack Landwehr went 6 innings to win the opener over Cypress Lake with 8 strikeouts and no walks. Zach Tuczak went 4-for-4 with a homer and 4 RBI, Eric Krohm was 2-for-4 with 2 RBI and A.J. Compton had 2 hits.
Landwehr went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI against Naples and Alec Backes had a solid 5-inning start as Prospect (2-3) led 4-2 going into the seventh.
Welby Malczewski had 3 strikeouts in 5 innings against South Fort Myers. Dan Cavanaugh went 2-for-4 with 3 RBI and Compton was 2-for-5.
“It was outstanding,” Giusti said of the trip. “We answered a lot of questions and it gives our kids an opportunity to get to know each other. To be able to play in this type of weather was a great opportunity for our kids.”
Elk Grove 8, Deerfield 0: Jack Czeszewski threw a 2-hitter and reached base in 4 plate appearances for Elk Grove (4-1) in the nonconference victory. The left-handed senior had 7 strikeouts and 1 walk and threw 55 of his 86 pitches for strikes.
Czeszewski also singled, walked twice and was hit by a pitch. Cody Gustafson went 3-for-3 with a double, Robby Uehara was 3-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, Cody Schrader went 2-for-4 with an RBI, Adam O’Malley drove in 2 runs and Josh Bergbreiter had a double and an RBI.
St. Viator 5, Highland Park 3: Chris Myjak doubled in a 4-run first and Gunnar Kay and Patrick Martin combined on a 5-hitter for St. Viator (3-3) in the nonconference victory at Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva, the home of the Kane County Cougars.
Myjak had 2 hits and 2 RBI and Cosimo Cannella had 2 hits for the Lions. Kay had 6 strikeouts and 2 walks in 5 innings and Martin got the save with two hitless, scoreless innings of relief.
Hoffman 14, Maine East 2 (5 inn.): Jimmy Ward threw a complete-game 2-hitter and also had 2 hits for Hoffman Estates (4-3) in the five-inning nonconference win. Josh Hommowun, Danny Alba and Mark Roberts each singled and doubled.
Leyden 4, Maine West 1: Brennan Chillemi’s bases-loaded triple in the bottom of the sixth broke a 1-1 tie for Leyden (5-0) in the nonconference win. Dan Schoedel (2-0) got the victory.
James Duckmann and Pat Donnelly doubled for Maine West.
Christian Liberty 14, Steinmetz 4 (6 inn.): David Cabrera had 7 strikeouts and also doubled and tripled for Christian Liberty in the nonconference win in Chicago.
Jacobs 1, Conant 0 (12 inn.): Nick Blaha got a tough no-decision with 6 strikeouts in 9 scoreless innings for Conant. Kraemer Brandt had 3 of the game’s 11 total hits.