Another strong outing for South Elgin

The South Elgin baseball team parlayed good middle-infield defense and solid starting pitching into victory for the second straight outing Tuesday.

A day after Eric Stazy scattered 7 hits and benefitted from 2 double plays in a 4-2 victory over Geneva, the Storm backed starting pitcher David Palmer with 3 double plays to secure a 3-1 victory over visiting Streamwood in Upstate Eight Conference play.

Palmer (3-1) won his third straight start by holding Streamwood (5-7, 1-4) to 5 hits in a complete-game effort. He benefitted greatly from double plays turned by second baseman Michael Murphy and shortstop Nevan Jeske in the third and fifth innings.

Palmer himself initiated the game-ending twin-killing when he stabbed Edgar Saldivar's one-hopper back to the mound and threw to Jeske covering second base.

“You've gotta love it when you throw groundballs and they make the plays,” Palmer said.

“We've been working a lot on our defense,” Murphy said. “Nevan and I seem to have a good chemistry. When (Palmer) is pitching you want to make the plays when the ball's hit to you because you don't get too many chances.”

Streamwood starting pitcher Richie Gorski (2-1) went the distance, allowing 2 earned runs on only 5 hits. He struck out 4 and walked 1. But South Elgin (6-2, 2-1) scored all the runs it would need in the third inning.

Jeske led off the third with a single to right field and scored one out later on Ryan Ford's single to left. Murphy followed with a double just inside the first-base bag, scoring Murphy for a 2-0 lead.

With two outs, Jake Buhman's hard one-hopper to shortstop was mishandled for an error, allowing South Elgin's third run to score.

Streamwood mounted its best threat in the sixth, when the Sabres scored their only run. A two-out error on Gorski's groundball to shortstop followed by a wild pitch put courtesy runner Matt Harding on second base. Brandon Larkin-Guilfoyle promptly ripped a basehit to right field to trim the deficit to 3-1.

“He was definitely rolling,” Larkin-Guilfoyle said of Palmer. “He was really keeping us off-balance as a team.”

Palmer then issued 1 of his 2 walks on the day to Alex Morrow, and Jeff Weaver loaded the bases with an infield single. However, the right-hander avoided further damage by painting the inside corner with a fastball for a called strike against a left-handed hitter, leaving the bases loaded.

“It was close; (the umpire) gave it to me,” Palmer said of pitch.

“We left 11 guys on base,” Streamwood coach Steve Diversey noted. “We couldn't get the timely hitting. They got 2 hits down the lines to break it open. Richie pitched well enough to win again. I hope our approach at the plate gets better and helps us eventually win some of these close games.”

Streamwood will attempt to snap its 3-game losing skid Thursday against Metea Valley. South Elgin goes for its third straight win Thursday at St. Charles North.