Weather sends South Elgin, Neuqua home tied

The players on the Neuqua Valley and South Elgin baseball teams passed the time playing Tic Tac Toe and having dance competitions.

They were laughing and having a good time for a half-hour during Monday's weather delay. Neither team had to worry about feeling disappointed after a loss as the game was called in the top of the seventh inning with the Wildcats up to bat with the game tied 3-3.

The game likely will not be completed unless necessary.

Neuqua Valley did not have a hit off South Elgin starter Max Keough until there were two outs in the fifth. Matt Butler doubled into right center. He scored on two wild pitches to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Nick Hilgemann made it 3-0 in the sixth with a 2-run single.

"I still think we need to get way better with our approach offensively," Neuqua coach Robin Renner said. "We took way too many strikes down the middle again today. Baserunning mistakes cost us. When we make mistakes they cost us because we don't score many runs."

The Storm had just 1 hit off Neuqua right-hander Alex DiFranco until the sixth inning. Nick Menken led off with a single and Dane Toppel was hit by a pitch. Jared Kramer followed with a double to score Menken. Toppel also scored on the play after a throwing error, which also allowed Kramer to advance to third. Danny Asa then singled to drive in Kramer to tie the game at 3-3. South Elgin had runners on first and second with one out but DiFranco struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.

"We had opportunities to do things and were kind of sluggish," Storm coach Jim Kating said. "I'm happy that we battled back and had the opportunity to have a tie ballgame going into the seventh."