Morris ties Kaneland for conference lead
Starting a day with a chance for the Northern Illinois Big 12 Trifecta, Kaneland’s baseball team now finds itself in a fight for its life with two conference games remaining.
A 6-3 win by Morris Monday in Maple Park pulled the Redskins (15-12, 9-4) into a first-place tie with the Knights (13-9, 9-4). The teams play again Tuesday at Morris and back at Kaneland on Thursday.
“We don’t think of it as pressure,” said Jake Razo, who went 2-for-3 and made a spectacular catch in right field.
“We’re tied for first. We are just thinking we’re starting a new season 0-0. This will definitely show what we’re made of. We have a really good pitcher (Bobby Thorson) on the mound tomorrow.”
A victory Monday would have clinched a share of the title for Kaneland, which would have followed championships in football and boys basketball. Sweeping those three sports would be a pretty nice feat in the Knights’ first year in the conference.
Now, Kaneland is in the exact same situation as it was last year in the Western Sun with two games to go when it was tied with DeKalb for first place. The Knights wound up losing Wednesday and winning Thursday to tie for first.
“Hopefully we will pick it up tomorrow,” Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said. “I think these guys will respond very well and hopefully we’ll bring our ‘A’ game.”
Kaneland starter Drew Peters couldn’t have gotten off to a better start, retiring Morris on 9 pitches in the first. Peters had a part on all three outs, getting two comebackers and catching a weak pop-up.
The Knights had a chance to take the lead in their half of the first with three straight singles by Corey Landers, Joe Camiliere and Thorson. A pickoff and strikeouts by the No. 4 and 5 hitters thwarted the rally.
Morris took that momentum and scored a pair of runs in the second and another in the third to build a 3-0 lead it never relinquished.
“We played real tight in the first inning,” Aversa said. “I told the guys to loosen up. That’s not the way we play. We’re a loose group of guys and like to have fun. When we’re not having fun we’re not playing well.”
Razo made his sensational catch in the third inning, fully extending to take an extra-base hit away on a rocket hit to deep right-center.
“Their kid made one of the best catches I’ve ever seen a high school kid make. That’s a snapshot of what they can do,” Morris coach Todd Kein said.
“I felt like we needed a big play,” Razo said. “Drew was pitching a great game. I tried my best to catch it and I came up with it. I was pretty surprised. I just saw it was in the gap and I knew the wind was going to keep it up because we were taking BP over there. I saw a chance to jump and catch the ball and luckily I came down with it.”
That was the first of three excellent defensive plays. Kaneland second baseman Brian Dixon ranged far to his right and then made an off-balance throw to first to take another hit away in the fourth.
The Knights ended the sixth inning with a 5-4-3 double play from to Drew French to Dixon to Thorson.
“I felt we played great defense, made some spectacular plays,” Aversa said.
Kaneland got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning thanks to aggressive baserunning. Thorson singled and after being forced at second on French’s groundout, French tried to go from first to third on Kyle Davidson’s infield single. Morris threw the ball away trying to get French at third, allowing him to score all the way from first without the ball leaving the infield.
Kaneland further cut into the lead in the fifth. With Landers at first and two outs, Camiliere drove a ball the opposite way for a run-scoring double to make it 3-2.
Morris plated 3 insurance runs in the seventh against French, who relieved Peters (6 innings, 10 hits, 3 runs, 0 walks, 4 strikeouts). A close call down the left-field line didn’t go Kaneland’s way, instead standing for a 2-run double for Greg Struck (3-for-4, 2 doubles).
Down 6-2, Kaneland scored a run on Thorson’s RBI single in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate, but Morris starter Josh DeGraaf finished his complete game by striking out French.
DeGraaf fanned 6 and walked none to improve to 6-2.
“He was aggressive and was hitting his spots,” Kein said. “His ability to get ahead of hitters and go after them in 2-strike counts, for him to be able to finish the game just helps us the rest of the series.
“We were happy with the win, certainly not satisfied. We know they have a very good baseball team and will bring their best to our place tomorrow.”
Camiliere and Thorson both went 3-for-4 and Landers and Razo added 2 hits as Kaneland had 12 hits but just 3 runs.
“We’re getting the baserunners, we’re just not capitalizing on our opportunities,” Razo said. “It’s tough leaving baserunners out there.”