Baseball: Geneva takes St. Charles North series behind Minderman’s gem

AJ Minderman was determined to finish what he started.

Despite strong winds blowing out to straightaway center field while facing defending DuKane Conference champion St. Charles North on the road, the Geneva left-hander turned in a sterling performance Friday afternoon.

Minderman tossed a 4-hit complete game, striking out 8 while walking 1 during an 88-pitch outing, as the Vikings (13-2, 2-1) rallied for a 3-1 victory over the host North Stars (6-6-2, 1-2).

Not bad for a sophomore making his first varsity start in conference play.

“Very impressive,” Geneva coach Brad Wendell said of his southpaw. “He’s a strike thrower. He’s got good stuff. You saw it all today.

“He’s also just a competitor. He’s out there trying to get after people – all 110 pounds of him.”

Minderman was undaunted despite giving up a first-inning run to the North Stars.

Mason Netcel led off with a single, and Nolan Macholz reached on an error following a bunt to put runners at first and third with nobody out.

The North Stars’ run came across when Macholz got caught in a rundown between first and second following Minderman’s pickoff attempt, while Netcel raced home to give the home team a 1-0 lead.

“I wish we could replay the first inning again,” said North Stars coach Todd Genke. “We had a chance to put up a crooked number. We got the one run but that could have been a big inning.

“It changes the complexity of the game if you can score two or three runs in the first inning, especially at home.”

Minderman allowed just 3 more baserunners the rest of the way, as he retired 15 of the last 17 batters faced.

“I feel like I had a ton of confidence going out there,” said Minderman, who relied on a fastball, hard breaking ball and superb changeup to keep the North Stars’ offense off balance. “During the first couple innings, I knew what I was going to get done.

“I told my coach in the third inning that I was going to go the whole game. I knew after those first couple innings that it was going to be something special today.”

Trailing 1-0 after 5 innings while stranding 4 runners in scoring position, the Vikings finally got on the board in the sixth.

Following back-to-back singles from Ryan Kastor and Alex Abraham to lead off the inning, Wendell called the bunt sign for sophomore designated hitter Nick Lozano.

After 2 foul bunt attempts, Lozano laced a 1-2 pitch through the middle for an RBI single to tie the game at 1-1.

“It’s not how we drew it up but credit to Nick for competing,” said Wendell. “That’s what we ask our guys to do – compete with two strikes.”

With runners on first and second, Gavin Dworak laid down a sacrifice bunt that wound up plating both courtesy runner Nick Torrence and Lozano after the throw sailed over first base and down the right-field line, giving Geneva a 3-1 lead.

Minderman did the rest, striking out the side in the seventh for the Vikings, who won the season series over the North Stars for the first time in Wendell’s coaching career.

“We had the bullpen ready to roll,” said Wendell. “We let him (Minderman) go because he was throwing a gem.

“It feels good to get over the hump.”