Kaneland comes from behind to beat Batavia in 10 innings

The longer Batavia and Kaneland battled Wednesday the more clutch the hits became.

Knights leadoff hitter Jake Fiedler delivered the first with Kaneland down to its last strike in the seventh inning, a two-out RBI double that tied the game 3-3.

Kaneland went to the bottom of its order for the next one, a triple in the ninth inning from Kyle Davidson for a 4-3 lead.

Then it was Batavia's turn. Down to its last out, Braden Hrack smacked his second home run of the season to once again tie the score 4-4 and send the game to the 10th inning.

That's when Dave Dudzinski, who ended the Knights' 11-1 win Tuesday with a grand slam, tripled to start a 3-run rally. Batavia's Tim Schofield's fourth hit of the game in the bottom of the 10th wasn't enough, giving Kaneland a draining 7-4 victory filled with thrills for both teams.

"Our guys stuck their heads in there and battled," Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said. "The momentum could have shifted (after Hrack's home run) but we stayed on it. Our guys are really battling."

Kaneland's second straight win in the series pulls the Knights (14-9, 7-4) even with defending champ Batavia in the Western Sun Conference heading into today's finale at Kaneland. Both teams trail Geneva.

"Last year they swept us," said Kaneland senior Jake Tickle, who extended his hitting streak to 17 games with 3 hits and earned the win in relief, improving to 5-0. "Hopefully our momentum keeps going and we get a sweep."

By the time Bobby Thorson drove home Dudzinski with the go-ahead run in the 10th inning, it was hard to remember back to the quality start the junior had turned in.

Thorson worked the first seven innings, throwing only 35 of his 121 pitches for balls. Batavia had 12 hits off him but all were singles and his 7 strikeouts - plus two slick fielding plays by third baseman Drew French and Davidson at shortstop - kept the Knights close.

"I felt like my fastball had a lot of pop on it," Thorson said. "Early on my slider was working well."

Nick Leonard put Batavia up 1-0 in the second with a single up the middle to score Anthony Carby, who had reached on an infield single.

After Thorson and Tickle's back-to-back run-scoring singles in the third gave Kaneland a 2-1 lead, Batavia went back ahead in the fourth. Joe Melby, who only had 7 at-bats coming into the game, connected on the first of his 2 singles that scored pinch runner Ben Allison for a 3-2 Batavia lead.

Thorson, though, kept the game from getting away from the Knights by stranding the bases loaded - a problem all day for Batavia who left 14 runners on base. That included first and third with no outs in the fifth and a runner at third and one out in the sixth - two insurance runs that proved costly when the Knights rallied in the seventh.

"It's the little things," Batavia coach Matt Holm said. "We had a lot of chances. The little things are what make a big difference.

"We left too many people on base. We're hitting a lot of balls but we're not clutch hitting. We have to start picking up RBI."

Mickey Walsh started for the Bulldogs. Schofield, who had only pitched 3 innings entering the game, took over in the fifth and wound up working 5 2/3 innings in relief.

Kaneland junior Corey Landers led off the seventh with a double. Schofield nearly pitched out of the jam until Fielder's rocket off the left field fence tied the game.

Batavia again stranded 2 runners in both the seventh and eighth innings, runners that could have won the game. Then down 4-3 in the ninth, Hrack momentarily saved the day for the Bulldogs with his homer to center field off Tickle.

"I knew I left my pitch a little high and I knew I had to settle down and get the next out and work through it," Tickle said.

Hrack hit his other home run this year against Marmion.

"It (the pitch) was down the middle, straight," Hrack said. "We hung in there, pitching was good. It just kind of slipped away at the end. We have to get them tomorrow and salvage the series."

Only 1 of Kaneland's 3 runs against Schofield in the 10th was earned. Landers and Steve Colombe also had RBI on a sacrifice fly and groundout, respectively.

Schofield had 2 strikeouts and walked just one on the mound while going 4-for-6 at the plate to raise his already lofty .517 batting average. After the bullpen struggled in Tuesday's loss, Schofield - normally Batavia's center fielder - told Holm to give him the ball.

"During practice I will throw a bullpen, keep my arm strength up," Schofield said. "It's fun. I like being in control and being involved on every play."

Kaneland is also having fun. Batavia outhit Kaneland 16-11 Wednesday but the Knights counted with 6 extra-base hits to Batavia's 1 to give themselves a chance for a sweep today.

"We have a little momentum behind us," Aversa said. "Today was an emotional game. I hope tomorrow we don't have a little letdown after a game like that."