Glenbard West’s Carlson delivers with two outs
A timely bunt to score a runner from third is not always that big a deal, but it is when it comes with two outs.
That’s exactly what Glenbard West’s Hayden Carlson delivered in the fifth inning of a 2-2 baseball game at Hinsdale Central on Saturday. Carlson put down a perfect bunt and just did beat out the throw to first as teammate Tyler Dayton came home with the go-ahead run.
Hilltoppers starting pitcher Tyler Curtis then helped his own cause more by capping the 3-run inning with a 2-run single as the visitors claimed the first game of the West Suburban Conference Silver twinbill 5-3 in Hinsdale.
“He’s got the go-ahead to bunt anytime he wants to; anytime he sees an opening,” Glenbard West coach Brian Wojtun said of his sophomore shortstop. “He’s a smart ballplayer for us and he’s been exceptional.”
The Hilltoppers (8-4, 2-2) struck early with two runs off Red Devils starter Sam Burnett (1-2) in the top of the first after the first two batters walked. An error and an RBI single by Curtis gave the visitors a 2-0 lead.
But Hinsdale Central, which opened Silver play with three straight wins before falling to Glenbard West in Game 1 Saturday, got one run back in the bottom of the first on a groundout by Bobby Skogsbergh that scored Will Howson, who used his speed to beat out an infield hit and then swipe a base.
Hinsdale Central then tied the game 2-2 in the third after Jared Eck led off the inning with a single, stole second base and scored when Howson reached on an error.
The Red Devils, who had 10 hits, let some chances slip away, including in the fourth and fifth innings when double plays killed off threats.
The Hilltoppers, meanwhile, used that three-run, two-out rally to take the opener and hand Burnett a tough-luck defeat.
Dayton opened the inning by hitting a soft liner that just did elude a dive by Hinsdale Central shortstop Sam Lucente. Burnett struck out the next batter but Myles Purdom’s fly to right was deep enough to allow Dayton to scamper to third with two outs, setting the stage for Carlson’s clutch bunt.
“That’s huge, that two-out bunt,” said Curtis, who improved to 2-0 this spring after pitching 6 innings before giving way to Will Simoneit, who notched the save in the seventh. “Basically, we built off that and it was real nice to come here and get a win.”
Red Devils coach Justin Cronin felt his team was just one big hit away from changing the outcome.
“We had a lot of hits,” he said. “But we’re still waiting for that breakout hit that opens up a game for us.”