Geneva guns down CL South
Of the 23 runs and 24 hits Geneva and Crystal Lake South combined for in Geneva’s high-scoring 12-11 win in Crystal Lake Wednesday afternoon, the sequence of events that decided the game’s fate didn’t come on a run-scoring hit or go-ahead single of some sort as many would have anticipated.
It came on one of the most unlikeliest defensive plays from a center fielder with a stud of an arm, and it might just be the reason why Geneva outfielder Matt Williams has a full-ride to Northern Illinois to play football.
The play, a pitch out to second base with South threatening with runners on first and second and Will Ahsmann at the plate with a 2-run triple and a double already in his bag, missed second and went into center right to Williams. Without much effort, Williams barehanded the ball and gunned Gator baserunner Jordan Van Dyck at third while trying to advance.
South (1-3) could have easily tied or went into the seventh with the lead with the way its offense was going but the Gators managed just a single run off Ahsmann’s sac fly soon after, thus proving why Williams’ arm might be so valuable.
“(Tony Landi) tried picking him off, he overthrew him a little bit and with all my emotions I just kind of picked it up and threw it. (Francis) made a great play at third, staying in there tough, taking spikes to the arm, did a great a job and it all happened in our favor,” Williams said.
Geneva (4-0) coach Matt Hahn viewed the play as if it were just routine for Williams, who was also Geneva’s quarterback.
“That’s not atypical for him to pick that ball up, he barehanded it, too,” Geneva coach Hahn said. “It wasn’t like he had to gather, it seemed like it was all in one motion and just threw the guy out. He’s been doing that since he was a sophomore. That’s a bang-bang play, we’re used to seeing that.”
Ahsmann, impressed with the play, was trying to set down a bunt in that appearance to move the runners over.
“(Williams) made a nice play,” Ahsmann said, “He barehanded the ball and still threw him out. It had to be the perfect play to get him out. We really needed him to be safe there and he made a (heck) of a play.”
Williams came in to pitch the seventh and struck out the side for the win as it was only the second inning where Geneva went 3-up, 3-down to cap off a crazy, high-octane offensive game.
Gators coach Brian Bogda imagined a much lower scoring game.
“I thought there would be some runs up on the board, I thought it’d be close like 5-4, 6-5, but not an 12-11 game back and forth.” Bogda said, “It was 6-5 in the second.”
The Gators managed 6 runs in bottom of the first while the Vikings answered back with 7-straight singles to take a 7-5 lead that didn’t last long. South scored 3 runs in the third to make it 8-7 after two innings.
Geneva (4-0) tied it in the fourth with Brock Chenier’s RBI double to center. Ahsmann’s 2-run triple in the bottom half gave South a 10-8 lead but Geneva answered again with 3 in the fifth thanks to Anthony Bragg’s double, a beaming shot to center that scored 2 runs.
“I was just trying to do my job and get the run in,” Bragg said. “Luckily, I got both of them in.”
Bragg finished 2-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. Williams was 3-for-4 with a double, 2 singles, an RBI and an intentional walk. South’s Dom Winiecki was 2-for-3 with a walk, stolen base and an RBI, Max Meitzler was 3-for-4 with 2 RBI.
Landi (1-0, 2 H, 2 K, 1 BB) picked up the win. Pitching lines weren’t anything to be proud of. Matt Brandys pitched 1 inning, gave up 3 hits and 2 earned runs. Chewier went 3 and gave up 3 earned on 5 hits. South’s Zack Geib (2-1, 2 H, ER, K) got the loss. Eric Humpa went 3 innings with 8 hits, 4 earned runs, a strikeout and a balk.