Roy, Scheuermann tough in the clutch for Palatine
Nick Roy was just in time for Palatine on Tuesday.
The senior delivered a two-out single to left in the bottom of the sixth to score Eric Scheuermann and give Palatine a 2-1 victory over crosstown rival Fremd. The outcome kept the Vikings from clinching a share of the MSL West title and brought the Pirates and Schaumburg within two games of first with three to play.
“He was jamming us inside,” said Roy of Fremd starter Jack Andersen. “I got a jump on it and got in front of it and took it to the left side.”
Scheuermann led off the sixth with a single. He then advanced to second on Kurt Becker’s bunt. But the Pirates then had a failed bunt attempt that ended in a pop out to the catcher, leaving Roy for the clutch opportunity.
“Nick has delivered in the clutch throughout the year,” Palatine coach Paul Belo said. “It was a situation he was very comfortable with and did a great job of getting the barrel out and knocking it through the 5-point-5 hole.”
“Coach Belo told us he was working the inner third,” said Roy, who flew to right and popped to first in his previous two at-bats. “I wanted to put the ball in play and give us a chance to win. So I moved back in the box and was able to hit to the five-point-five hole.”
All that was left was for Scheuermann to shut down the Vikings. The Bradley-bound senior did just that, fanning the side to bring his strikeout total to 10 for the game.
“It is always fun playing them and I love being on the mound,” Scheuermann said. “I was just coming out there and throwing strikes. I threw my slider harder today and that helped.”
“Eric did a great job in competitive situations,” Belo said. “He did a tremendous job for us and I was really happy the way he attacked the zone.”
Scheuermann (3-5) outdueled Andersen (7-2), with both pitchers allowing just 4 hits.
Fremd (16-11, 9-4) took the lead in the fourth. Keith Browning, who had 2 hits, reached on a fielder’s choice. He then stole second and took third and home on passed balls to put the Vikings up 1-0.
Andersen had kept Palatine (13-17, 7-6) at bay through the first four innings, not allowing a hit in the process. But Belo called a quick meeting before the Pirates hit in the fifth.
“We have an opposite-field approach,” Belo said. “But he (Andersen) was not throwing on the outside corner. He was trying to attack us on the inner third. So we had a meeting and I told the boys we had to be on time on the inner third.”
Jarrod Juskiewicz took Belo’s advice to heart, belting Anderson’s first pitch of the fifth over the left field wall to tie the game at 1-1.
“He was challenging the inner third,” said Juskiewicz, who has 3 home runs this year. “So I got my hips through and the bat head out and good things happened from there.”
Fremd had a chance to regain the lead the sixth when Browning singled, stole second and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice, but was stranded there.
Fremd, which will have to wait until this afternoon against Palatine again in hopes of clinching the MSL West, got hits from Danny Haduch and Matt Isola.
“They came up with big hits when they needed it,” Fremd coach Chris Piggott said. “I thought Jack (Andersen) pitched a good game for us. We just couldn’t manufacture anything.”