Drawant blasts St. Charles N. past Waubonsie

With a runner on third and none out, the baseball bible will never quibble over a sacrifice fly.

Brandon Drawant did even better for St. Charles North Wednesday afternoon in Aurora.

The North Stars’ leadoff batter blasted his first career home run, a towering drive over the left-field fence, to unlock a 2-2 tie against Waubonsie Valley as St. Charles North hit the Warriors with 6 unanswered runs to earn its seventh straight victory.

The North Stars’ 7-2 Upstate Eight Conference crossover triumph enabled the team to maintain its first-place tie with St. Charles East and Geneva in the loss column in the River Division.

“I’m not used to home runs,” said Drawant, who scored behind Kurt Barbeau to give St. Charles North the lead for good in the top of the fifth inning. “I just wanted to hit it in the air (deep enough for a sacrifice fly) and help my team. (The Waubonsie Valley pitcher) left the pitch over the plate.”

St. Charles North dispelled the notion of offensive production being severely curtailed with the introduction of new bats.

Of the North Stars’ 11 hits against two Waubonsie Valley pitchers, 7 went for extra-bases.

“We haven’t exactly been an extra-base machine,” St. Charles North coach Todd Genke said. “But when guys take the right approach we are going to get them.”

St. Charles North (12-7, 7-3) later doubled its fifth-inning lead when John Brodner laced a ringing double to score Jake Smiley; the senior then made it 6-2 in favor of the North Stars by swiping home on the back end of a double steal.

As impressive as the St. Charles North offense was with its 5 doubles and pair of home runs — Ryan Thomas’ solo shot in the sixth concluded the scoring — St. Charles North put on a dazzling defensive display in support of right-handed starter Carl Formento.

With the notable exception of a botched pickle play that enabled Waubonsie Valley senior Zac Steele to score in the second, the North Stars’ defense was stout all-around.

Adam Delisi made a stabbing grab at first base to deny the Warriors’ Sean Grannan, and second baseman Jake Johansmeier was the middle man in both of the North Stars’ twin killings.

The second one ended the game as Sawyer Chambers’ ultimately faced the minimum three batters in his only inning of work.

“We have been working hard on our defense,” Genke said. “It all starts on the mound. Whoever we have pitching that day, we consider him to be our No. 1 (starting pitcher). That’s what we tell the kids. We don’t get into numbers when it comes to the starters. Carl did a great job today.”

Formento improved to 3-1 on the season.

Waubonsie Valley (6-12, 2-7) had a chance to answer the North Stars’ fifth-inning outburst by safely reaching its first two batters, including a double by C.J. Lee.

But Formento retired the Warriors in order, and Waubonsie Valley never threatened again.

“We just couldn’t string anything together,” Waubonsie Valley coach Dan Fezzuglio said. “You have to move the ball and make things happen (with runners on and none out). We have to put more (offensive) pressure on other teams.”

Drawant scored an unearned run in the first, but Waubonsie Valley answered in its half as Troy Fumagalli had a run-scoring double.

After the Warriors took their only lead of the game in the second, Brodner and Nick Gilmore had back-to-back doubles in the North Stars’ fourth.

“We’re starting the swing the bats like we’re capable of,” Genke said.