Geneva pitching paces sweep of Larkin
Undefeated Streamwood leads the River Division of the Upstate Eight Conference, but the Geneva baseball team isn’t allowing the Sabres to run away and hide.
Powered by strong pitching performances from sophomore Jordan Touro and senior Mike Monaghan, not to mention a Game 1 grand slam by Brett Willman, the Vikings swept a doubleheader from visiting Larkin Saturday by scores of 7-3 and 9-2 to pull within a game of idle Streamwood (14-0, 8-0). Geneva improved to (8-3, 7-1).
“It’s a start,” Geneva coach Matt Hahn said. “ We’ve still got some good opponents coming up. We have one more against Larkin, and that’s a good team. We’ve got Lake Park on Monday and they’re a good team. Then we have St. Charles North at the end of the week.
“We’ve still got a tough stretch here, but we like the position we’re in as of this point.”
Touro (2-0) scattered 7 hits in the opener for a complete game victory over Larkin (8-7, 3-5). The Vikings scored single runs in the first and second innings and broke it open with a 5-run third.
After Touro was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded by losing pitcher Miguel Villafane (2-2) to force in Geneva’s third run, Willman stepped to the plate, fresh off a solo home run in his previous bat.
Unlike the fastball ripped for his first homer, Willman waited on an off-speed pitch for his second. He adjusted his weight and wrested the ball over the fence, assisted by steady 20-mph winds blowing straight out.
“It felt good, but I couldn’t have done it without guys getting on ahead of me,” said Willman who now has 3 home runs this season.
Monaghan (2-0) kept the Larkin offense under wraps in Game 2. The right-hander held the Royals to 2 runs on 3 hits in 6 innings, struck out 5 and walked 1.
“Coach said just stay focused and throw strikes because we have a good, solid defense behind us,” Monaghan said. “Kyle Bender made a couple real good plays at third base and John Swiderski called a nice game behind the plate. All I had to do was relax and throw my off-speed pitches over the plate.”
Geneva scored in all but one inning against three Larkin pitchers. Drew Shore (1-2) took the loss in the nightcap after allowing 5 runs (4 earned) in 5 innings, partly because Monaghan went 3-for-5 at the plate with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.
Control ws a key for the Vikings on the mound. Touro and Monaghan combined to walk only 3 Larkin hitters all day.
“They threw well and with big leads,” Larkin coach Matt Esterino said. “We just came out flat, and when we come out flat we don’t play well. We can’t afford to do that. It’s probably the flattest we’ve been all year. We’ll just have to get back after it Monday.”
The 3-game series concludes Monday in Geneva at 4:30 p.m.