Glenbard West stops St. Francis
As the final weeks of school get into full gear, the last lessons are being learned, final projects are being worked on and preparation for final exams are in full gear.
It works the same way on the baseball field.
Glenbard West paid a visit to St. Francis and Don Jones Field on Friday afternoon with both teams opening the postseason in less than two weeks and trying to fine-tune their games in the few regular-season contests that remain.
Behind the pitching of sophomore Grant Greeno and three runs in the first two innings, the Hilltoppers won 4-1 to move to 19-15 on the season. Glenbard West has won six of its last eight games.
“We’re starting to peak at the right time and just want to keep getting better in every phase of the game,” said Hilltoppers coach Brian Wojtun.
Greeno went 6 innings, allowed just four hits, struck out three and allowed no hits the first three innings. Hayden Carlson, also a sophomore, finished out the game in the seventh and struck out one.
“I try to get ahead of the hitters with first-pitch fastballs. When I’m ahead of the count, I try to make good off-speed pitches,” Greeno said.
The Hilltoppers struck early in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter Daniel Setzke walked, moved to second a wild pitch and scored on Ryan Kavanaugh’s single to right. Kavanaugh made it 2-0 when he stole second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.
Glenbard West made it 3-0 in the second. Carlson reached base when he was safe during an attempted double play. The throw to first on that attempted double play was high and that allowed him to take second. A balk moved him to third and Danny Kiel’s sacrifice fly brought him home.
The Spartans (16-13) got their first hits in the fourth courtesy of singles from Lonnie Hicks and Brett Jungles. Hicks would get his second hit of the game in the sixth, a double to center that scored Joshua Croci, who had been hit by a pitch.
St. Francis loaded the bases in the seventh with a single to center by Preston Preusser helping spark the drive.
The Hilltoppers had made it 4-1 in the top of the inning when Mitch Monocchio smashed a double to the left-field fence and moved to third on Carlson’s sacrifice bunt. He scored on Kiel’s infield hit.
Glenbard West plays host to Downers Grove South on Tuesday and travels to Huntley next Saturday to close the regular season. The team, seeded ninth in the Schaumburg sectional, travels to the Lake Park regional to take on the eighth-seeded hosts in semifinal play May 24.
“We’ve started to come around with the hitting like it was at the beginning of the season,” Greeno said. “The pitching and defense have always been great. If we can keep those three things together, we’ll be set for the playoffs.”
It was senior day on Friday at St. Francis with the eight seniors on the roster honored before the game.
“First and foremost our focus were the seniors and paying tribute to the effort they have put in,” said St. Francis coach Rich Janor.
St. Francis will close out the regular season next Friday at Yorkville, but Janor was hoping to schedule some additional games before the Spartans, seeded third in the Class 3A Kaneland regional, take on second-seeded Marmion on May 24.
The Spartans went 1-1 against the Cadets during the regular season. Host Kaneland is the defending Class 3A champion.
“We had a nice playoff run in 2011 (reached a supersectional) and this group knows what it takes to do that. We are going to do every thing we can to prepare for Marmion. We’re used to playing good teams. I think we’ll be ready,” Janor said.