Baseball: Hersey secures first win of the season behind Farkas’ gem
On a cold, gray afternoon that felt more like late February than baseball season, Hersey sophomore left-hander J.D. Farkas gave the Huskies exactly what they needed: strikes, poise and, eventually, history.
Farkas fired a 5-inning no-hitter Tuesday as Hersey blanked host Stevenson 3-0 in a nonconference game at Patriot Park, the game called after five innings because of darkness following an earlier 25-minute rain delay.
It was the first win of the spring for the Huskies (1-5), and it came against a Stevenson team that entered the day rolling.
“We needed a win,” Hersey coach Wally Brownley said. “Our early schedule is tough, and I like that because we play in such a tough conference (Mid-Suburban League).
“We beat a quality team today.”
Farkas, making quick work of a potent Stevenson lineup, allowed no hits, walked 1 and struck out 7. He struck out the side in the second inning and improved to 1-0.
“I felt pretty good,” Farkas said. “My confidence grew as the game went on.”
The sophomore leaned on all four of his pitches — a 2-seam fastball, 4-seam fastball, changeup and curveball — and never seemed rattled.
“He did such a great job throwing strikes on all four of his pitches,” Brownley said. “We’re really high on him.”
Stevenson coach Chris D’Amato was equally impressed.
“He threw strikes and kept us off balance,” D’Amato said. “His ability to locate his pitches impressed me. Hats off to him. He’s an ace.”
For much of the afternoon, the game belonged to the pitchers.
Farkas and Stevenson senior Frank Constabile, a UIC commit, combined for 11 strikeouts through the first 3 innings in a brisk, chilly duel. Constabile finished with 8 strikeouts in 4⅓ innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits while walking 5.
Hersey finally broke through in the top of the fifth.
After Evan Steinbrunner and Damian Marcus drew walks around Alan Mikuta’s bunt single, the Huskies pushed across the first run when senior first baseman Wyatt Groberski hit a high chopper back to the mound. Constabile made the play at first, but the run scored.
Moments later, senior DH Drew Thomas delivered the game’s biggest hit, ripping a 2-run double to deep right for a 3-0 lead.
Then came the play that kept the no-hitter intact.
With one out in the bottom of the fifth, Hersey sophomore shortstop Jack Mau charged a slow roller to his right and fired to first to barely retire pinch-hitter Jayden Kimbrough. Farkas induced a groundout to first to complete the gem.
“Our future is kind of bright,” Brownley said. “We start three sophomores.”
The brightest on Tuesday had to complete a considerably easier task before boarding the team’s happy bus back to Arlington Heights.
“I’m going to run the poles for recovery,” Farkas said.