Geneva 6, Batavia 4

From the first out of the game to the last, Geneva's defense made so many spectacular plays they started to look routine.

Shortstop Mike Grandenitti dove to his left to snare Alex Beckmann's shot up the middle to start the game, then from his knees threw Beckmann out at first base.

Left fielder Sean Grady made a sliding catch to snag Brian Krolikowski's liner to end the game.

In between the two web gems were several more, the kind of plays Geneva needed to hand Bulldogs starter Jordan Coffey his first loss of the year in the Vikings' come-from-behind 6-4 win at Batavia.

"Hopefully we didn't use them all up today," joked Geneva coach Matt Hahn.

Geneva (15-4, 8-4) and Batavia (11-8, 7-6) resume their three-game series today in Geneva.

With another defensive effort like Tuesday's, the Vikings will be hard to beat. Geneva starter Chris Jordan allowed 7 hits and just 2 walks in a 95-pitch complete game that improved his record to 4-3.

"They were great ever since the first inning all the way through the end of the game," Jordan said. "I counted on them a lot today because that's a good-hitting team."

Among the other highlights were catcher Ryan Payne racing to grab a wild pitch and flipping to Jordan covering at the plate to barely nail a Batavia runner trying to score.

Right fielder Kevin Massoth dove to take one hit away, then crashed into the fence while pulling in what turned out to be a mammoth sacrifice fly by Krolikowski.

Batavia also made its share of five-star plays. After moving to right field in the sixth inning, Coffey robbed Grandenitti of extra bases with a full-out extension to catch a liner that looked headed for the gap. First baseman Shane Holl hustled to catch a tough foul pop, and left fielder Tim Drish gunned down a runner at the plate.

But the Bulldogs struggled at times with the easy plays. Two errors in Geneva's 4-run sixth inning turned their 4-2 leading into a 6-4 deficit.

"We'll make incredible plays and then not finish things," Batavia coach Matt Holm said.

"No matter how good you hit, if you are facing a good pitcher, and Chris Jordan is a good pitcher, you are battling but you are giving things up. We've been giving gifts. We're the most benevolent team out there I can think of."

Geneva took a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Payne's two-out RBI double scored Grandenitti, who had doubled. Dan Rowe followed with an RBI single.

Batavia tied the game in its half of the fourth, with Coffey and Holl driving home the runs, then took the lead with a 2-run fifth. Drish and Krolikowski had the RBI.

At that point the Bulldogs looked in control, leading 4-2 with Coffey (5-1) on the mound. But after striking out six and walking just one through five innings, Coffey walked the first two in the sixth.

"I was in total control," Coffey said. "Couple miscues in field, and unfortunately I made a couple walks that put us in some hard situations."

Ryan Adams gave Geneva the lead for good at 5-4 by driving an 0-2 pitch for a 2-run home run to left-center.

"That's where he's at his best hitting gap to gap," Hahn said. "Almost all his home runs the last two years have been about the same spot."

Adams' blast was the Vikings' 31st this year in 19 games.

"We just came out ready to hit and ready to play," Adams said.

Payne and Cory Hofstetter both had 2 hits for the Vikings, while Drish was the lone Bulldog with multiple hits against Jordan.

Trailing 6-4, Mike Maloney was the only Batavia baserunner the last two innings with his sixth inning double. Jordan retired the side in order on 6 pitches in the seventh for his only 1-2-3 inning.

"You are going to look at the box score and see 6-4, he didn't strike out a whole lot, but arguably the best hitting team in the conference, he held them to four runs," Hahn said. "I thought he pitched a great game."

For Batavia, Tuesday's loss followed a sweep last week against Kaneland. Once 7-2 in the Western Sun, Batavia has lost four straight to sit at 7-6.

"It's been the same thing for us the last week, same thing with Kaneland -- crucial mistakes at key times," Holm said. "I go back and look at the books, our errors are way down. We're making them at really bad times.

"We're in a losing streak but I think we are a darn good team. We've got guys that are playing hard. We've got very talented baseball players. We just have to learn to put things away."

Batavia will try to repeat the formula it used to win the series against Western Sun leader Sycamore when the Bulldogs dropped the opener and won the final two.

"I know our team is going to battle back," Coffey said. "We're the Battling Bulldogs, that's our motto. We won't let this one linger too long. We've still got a chance to win the series."