Baseball: St. Charles North downs Larkin
St. Charles North senior third baseman Sam Faith doesn't get many opportunities to hit from the right side.
Faith, a switch hitter who has primarily faced right-handed pitchers this season, had a rare chance to move into the right-handed batter's box for an at-bat Tuesday during the North Stars' baseball game against Larkin.
He made the most of it.
Faith slammed a first pitch from Royals left-handed reliever Max Wiskirchen over the left field fence for a 2-run home run in the fourth and added an RBI single during a 5-run third as the host North Stars (10-2, 5-1) defeated Larkin (7-8, 3-6) 9-3 in Upstate Eight Conference River Division.
"It's my natural side (right) but I've been hitting for so long left-handed that I've had way more lefty at-bats since we face so many right-handed pitchers," said Faith, who went 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. "I definitely get my work in before games from the right side as much as the left."
It was Faith's first home run of the season.
"I wanted to get my pitch and it felt good," he said.
Larkin grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, capitalizing on a pair of St. Charles North errors and a run-producing sacrifice fly from junior Jackson Reuter.
However, the North Stars took the lead for good with a 5-run bottom half of the frame against Royals starting pitcher Gunnar Boley.
After Anthony Delisi's 1-out double and a walk to Zach Mettetal (2 for 3), senior Tyler Mettetal (2 for 3) stroked an RBI single to right as the North Stars cut the deficit to 2-1.
Faith's RBI infield single tied the game at 2-2 before junior Steve Hamer's 2-run single two batters later made it 4-2.
Tommy Nelsen forced in the fifth run of the inning when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
It was the North Stars' third hit batsman of the inning - and fourth of the game.
"We practice it a lot," said North Stars coach Todd Genke. "We try to get our guys to believe that it's their plate up there. It has been a weapon. As a pitcher, it's frustrating when you don't locate a pitch and the guy gets on base. Any way to get on base, we'll take it."
Senior Bennett Christiansen (2-0) worked the first 4 innings for the win, giving up a pair of unearned runs while striking out 5.
On the mound for the first time this season following an injury, Weston Muir fanned 2 of the 3 batters he faced in the fifth.
"It was great to see Weston (Muir) finally come in and get an inning," said Genke.
Ryan Pieczko and Tim Hasto worked the sixth and seventh, respectively.
Sebastian Garnica drove in a seventh-inning run with a single for Larkin.
"We're taking steps to get better each day," said Royals coach Matt Esterino. "We're going to see great competition, especially on this side of our conference.
"Seeing the pitching and the competition is going to help us in the long run."