Baseball: Huntley overpowers Jacobs for Fox Valley Conference victory
That there was no huge hit in Huntley’s crucial five-run third inning didn’t matter, because the Red Raiders did enough other things that added up.
“One-hundred percent of those small plays is what wins ballgames,” Huntley designated hitter Kyle Larson said. “I’ll stand by that.”
The third inning was definitive proof.
Three singles, an infield hit, a bunt and hustling baserunning enabled the Raiders to bust the game open as they defeated Jacobs 11-1 in five innings in their Fox Valley Conference game Wednesday.
The win left the Raiders (10-1, 4-0 FVC) as the only unbeaten team in the conference. Jacobs fell to 8-2, 1-1.
“We go out there every day and try our best not to get complacent, showing up every inning like it’s the top of the first,” Larson said. “We do a really good job capitalizing on their mistakes, and when we get rolling, we’re unstoppable. We’re a really strong force.”
AJ Putty led off the third with a single, and T.J. Jakubowski fouled off two pitches with an 0-2 count leading up to another single.
“I was supposed to get the bunt down,” said Jakubowski, the son of Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski. “I would have gotten in trouble if I didn’t do something well there. I knew I had to put the ball in play and move him over at least, and luckily I got a hit and got us going.”
Ryan Dabe dropped a bunt that landed for a hit, then Larson – who doubled in a run in the first – walked for his second RBI. Quinn Drews hit a ball toward the shortstop hole, and Larson beat it to second to keep the bases loaded.
Haiden Janke singled in two runs to finish the scoring that inning. It was ample support for Malachi Paplanus, who struck out five for the complete-game victory.
It was Huntley’s largest run output of the season and Jacobs’ lowest. The Golden Eagles entered the game averaging 11.3 runs a game and scoring less than eight only once.
“Yesterday we showed glimpses, we’ve struggled a little at scoring runs compared to what we have in the past,” Andy Jakubowski said. “We have to manufacture more, but we’re getting better at it, and we’re moving in the right direction.”
Paplanus, who suffered a strained right elbow as a junior and missed most of the season, looked strong. He started the fourth with a no-hitter and allowed only three hits for the game, two infield hits and a bloop RBI single to Luke Gormsen.
“Just attack them, throw it down the middle and let them hit it,” Paplanus said. “I haven’t had a lot of hard contact the whole year, so I just let them hit it and let my defense work.
“Huntley vs. Jacobs has been a big rivalry for however many years, so it’s always nice to pick up a huge emotional win.”
The Raiders added three more runs in the fourth and ended the game with two in the fifth.
All Jacobs coach Jamie Murray could do was give Huntley its props.
“They beat us in all areas today,” Murray said. “Malachi, that’s the best arm we’ve seen all year, and we’ve seen some pretty good arms. When he’s throwing all his pitches and you have that velocity, that’s a difference-maker. Malachi was fantastic; he just dominated.
“We didn’t play well today. I’m proud of our guys, we’ve been playing really well, but unfortunately today was not our day. You have to flush it and be ready to play the next day. We’ll bounce back and be ready for Prairie Ridge tomorrow.”