Baseball: Glenbard East contending for a title
Glenbard East's baseball team is fighting to stay in position for a conference title heading into the last week of the regular season.
With every victory they pile up, the Rams inch closer to their goal.
They won for the 11th time in 13 games with Thursday's 9-3 victory at West Chicago, a win that gave the Rams a three-game sweep in the Upstate Eight Valley.
With nine UEC games remaining Glenbard East (18-7, 11-2) is tied in the loss column with South Elgin atop the Valley standings. Their three-game series showdown comes May 16-18.
"We're playing good baseball right now," said Rams senior Ryan Schefske. "We've been working hard, especially in the off-season, and it's paid off. Everything's working for us."
The Rams were locked in a dogfight with West Chicago (6-15, 4-10) until they turned a 2-0 lead into a 5-0 advantage in the top of the sixth. They added 4 runs in the seventh to boost their series total to 30 runs.
"Whenever we get those extra few runs, it's a little more momentum for us," said Rams senior Richard Masciopinto. "It's a little easier to play the game smart and not panic out there."
Schefske went 3-for-5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI, while Brett Bushka had 3 hits and 4 RBI. Michael Sebby and Jake Heyman had 2 hits apiece.
Winning pitcher Joey Moore threw 5 strong innings before getting in trouble in the sixth. Schefske closed out the final two innings.
"We've got a good, talented group," said Rams coach Joel Pelland. "We've got guys who step up and they're buying into their roles. They're playing with a lot of confidence right now."
West Chicago put pressure on the Rams in the later innings, but right fielder Sebby threw out a runner at the plate to maintain a 2-0 lead at the end of the fifth. Schefske worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth to keep a 5-0 lead intact.
The Wildcats broke through for 3 runs in the seventh when Matt Dall singled in a run and Brian Sullivan added a 2-run single.
"We're in a little funk right now, but we're young," said West Chicago coach Dan McCarthy. "They've got to learn from their mistakes and hopefully we can get a few wins going into the state tournament."
Follow Kevin on Twitter