Many firsts, except for a win, for Harvest Christian
It was a night of firsts for Harvest Christian Academy baseball under the lights at Judson University in Elgin Thursday.
Freshman left-hander Zach Pawelek threw the first pitch in program history against Northeastern Athletic Conference foe Christian Liberty Academy at 6 p.m.
Sophomore Ricky Lattanzio smacked the program's first hit, a long flyball that went for a double when Christian Liberty's center fielder had trouble gauging it in the lights.
And junior Zac Zabran drove in the Lions' first run in the first inning by coaxing a bases-loaded walk against Chargers starting pitcher Tom Keplar to knot the score 1-1.
A first Harvest Christian didn't get to experience? Victory.
Christian Liberty sophomore Jake Ringstrand snapped a 2-2, fifth-inning tie with a sharp 2-run single, the Chargers added an insurance run in the seventh and they held on to win 5-3 when reliever Chris Hoffman struck out consecutive Lions representing the tying run to end the game.
The loss did little to dampen the enthusiasm of Elgin's newest high school baseball program.
"Harvest hasn't had a team since the beginning of the school," Pawelek said. "First team, first game out. It was pretty cool."
Keplar (3 innings) and reliever Chris Hoffman combined to strike out 18 batters, 11 by Hoffman.
"I thought both guys pulled it together and we didn't have to make a lot of plays defensively, which makes it a little easier," Christian Liberty coach Jed Bennett said.
With the score tied 2-2 in the top of the fifth, Christian Liberty's Aiden Miller doubled to the left-field wall against Harvest reliever Chad Jakel (0-1) and Hoffman followed with a walk. After the baserunners advanced on a wild pitch, Ringstrand lined a single to right field, scoring both ahead of the relay throw.
"It felt pretty good," Ringstrand said of his clutch hit. "I was surprised."
The Chargers added a seventh-inning unearned run with the aid of 3 Harvest errors, including a throwing error on a stolen base attempt that allowed Miller to score from third.
The Lions answered with Pawelek's one-out RBI single in the bottom of the seventh before Hoffman struck out the final two hitters he faced.
Harvest Christian (0-1, 0-1) managed 5 hits, issued 4 walks and committed 4 errors but, all in all, acquitted itself well considering the lineup was made up of six freshmen, 2 sophomores and a junior.
"We have a lot of growing to do, like team chemistry," said freshman Dylan Lockwood, whose RBI single tied the game 2-2 in the third inning. "We've got to get together. This is our first time playing together so we have to feel each other out and see what our style is and get everyone together."
"I was very impressed with the boys," said Harvest Christian coach David Lockwood, the school's athletic director and Dylan's dad. "I thought they held their composure. Obviously, the bats will come around as we get more reps and as we hit, but I can't be happier. It's a game I felt we should have won, but they competed and they showed well."