Kankakee denies Elgin CC’s Angelo 500th win

The Elgin Community College baseball team was within six outs of securing the 500th career victory for coach Bill Angelo Friday, but the bullpen couldn’t protect a 2-run lead against one of the better hitting junior college teams the country.

Kankakee Community College, which entered the game batting .385 as a team, was held to 3 runs through 7 strong innings by ECC freshman starting pitcher Bobby Thorson, a Kaneland graduate.

However, the Cavaliers pounced on the ECC bullpen for 5 runs in the top of the eighth inning and added an insurance run in the ninth en route to a 9-6 nonconference victory in Elgin.

“We’re a couple of arms short in the bullpen right now,” said Angelo, coaching his 15th season at ECC. “It’s OK; I know it (No. 500) is going to happen eventually. I’m just happy with the way we played overall. If we keep playing the way we did and keep battling, we’ll be in good shape by the end of the season.”

Thorson left the game on a high note. Protecting a 4-3 lead, he got himself out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning by striking out Kankakee No. 6 hitter Kjeld Torkelson on a hard slider with two away and the count full.

“They’re one of the better hitting teams in the nation, so I had to pay attention to hitting my spots,” said Thorson, who remains 3-0 this season after Friday’s no-decision.

Matt Kaiser relieved Thorson to start the eighth inning, but five of the six hitters he faced reached base safely, one courtesy of an error. Cory Johnson tied the game with a run-scoring triple and No. 9 hitter Jory Koehler followed with the go-ahead double down the right-field line.

“Their starting pitcher was very good, but once we got into their bullpen we had some success,” Kankakee coach Todd Post said.

ECC (13-10) threatened in the eighth and ninth, but Kankakee closer Casey Fletcher didn’t give in. He entered the game in the eighth with a 3-run lead and the bases loaded, and he promptly struck out Jimmy Martin on a hard breaking ball for the second out. Fletcher then induced a groundball to first base off Ryan Richardson’s bat to quash the uprising.

ECC scored once in the ninth and had the tying run at the plate with two away, but the runner at second base was picked off by the Kankakee catcher to end the game. The victory improved the Cavs to 24-10.

“It was a good game with two top teams going at it,” said Larkin graduate Justin Kalusa, who went 4-for-5 and pitched the final 1 innings.

ECC doesn’t have to wait long to try again for Angelo’s milestone. The Spartans face Morton in a doubleheader at Spartan Field today at noon.