Wheaton N. keeps lead in DVC

Wheaton North finally gathered some breathing room in Thursday's baseball game against Glenbard East.

Space in the DuPage Valley Conference race?

That's another story.

The Falcons maintained their razor-thin lead atop the DVC standings by rallying for an 8-2 victory over Glenbard East in Lombard.

Entering the final week of DVC play, Wheaton North (22-3, 15-3) holds a one-game lead over Naperville North (14-4) and a two-game lead over Naperville Central (13-5). Next week Wheaton North plays Wheaton Warrenville South and Naperville North plays Naperville Central.

With three games to go, anything's possible. From Wheaton North's perspective, though, it's better to be a game up than a game behind.

"It's a new game every time we step on the field," said Falcons third baseman Wade Cervenka. "It doesn't matter what their record is, what our record is. We've just got to play every day to win."

Glenbard East (8-19, 5-13) claimed a 2-1 lead against Wheaton North starter Jack DeAno (6-1) behind Cody Thompson's solo home run in the bottom of the fifth.

The Falcons struck back in the sixth facing the Rams' Andrew Edwards (1-6). Jeff Schalk tied it with an RBI double, and Cervenka singled home the go-ahead run for a 3-2 Wheaton North lead.

After DeAno stranded runners at second and third in the Rams' half of the sixth, Wheaton North exploded for 5 runs in the seventh. Jack Quinn doubled in the first run before Aric Dama and Schalk each singled home 2 runs.

DeAno gutted out the complete-game win, striking out eight while scattering 6 hits and allowing 1 earned run. Edwards also pitched well in his 6 innings for the Rams.

"You're not going to have an easy day out here," said Falcons coach Dan Schoessling. "Jack DeAno gave us a great performance when we needed it. We didn't play our best game behind him, and he just toughed it out."

Quinn gave the Falcons a 1-0 lead in the third with an RBI groundout. An error allowed Glenbard East to tie the game in the fourth.

"We played well, it was just that last inning that got away from us," said Rams coach Nick Scipione, whose team beat Wheaton North 9-6 in the first game of the series. "There's nothing to hang their heads about. They played with the No. 1 team in the area. It shows me they've grown."

BOX SCORE

Wheaton North 8, Glenbard East 2

Wheaton North 001 002 5 -8-10-4

Glenbard East 000 110 0 -2-6-1

2B: WN: Martin, Schalk, Cervenka, Ford, Quinn. GE: Juhl, Edwards, Danylevski; HR: GE: Thompson

WP: DeAno (6-1) LP: Edwards (1-6).