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Baseball: Jacobs squeezes past Huntley

The big hit of the Jacobs baseball team's 1-0 victory over visiting Huntley on Friday was a bunt by the cleanup hitter.

Not just any bunt. It was the kind of bunt they teach at coaching clinics.

Jacobs senior Braeden Wegner reached across the plate for Huntley ace Kyle Morgan's outside offering with one out in the sixth inning of a scoreless game and deadened a safety squeeze bunt down the first-base line.

Daniel Klein, who led off with a bloop single and advanced via Liam Oreskovich's double to right, scored without a throw for the only run of the Fox Valley Conference series opener.

"I was just looking to get it down. I wasn't really looking for a strike," Wegner said. "The ball was in the other batter's box, so when I got it down I saw it really wasn't going foul. I knew the run scored so that made me pretty happy."

Huntley coach Andy Jakubowski opted not to walk Wegner to load the bases with one out, making Wegner prove he could get the bunt down.

"I wanted to see if the four-hitter could do it," Jakubowski said. "Unfortunately, it hugged the line and stayed in fair territory. A few inches away and he's down 1-2 (in the count) and then I really like that situation. It's a game of inches. He executed and he did well."

Wegner has been in squeeze situations previously but said "I've never done that perfect of a bunt before."

The run made a winner of reliever Matt Camp (2-0 with 2 saves), the designated closer for Jacobs (5-2-1, 3-0). He replaced starting pitcher Justin Lavrisa in the top of the sixth with two on and two out. Camp beaned the first batter he faced to load the bases, then struck out Huntley's No. 8 hitter to keep the game scoreless. He retired the side in order in the seventh.

"I was pretty nervous to start but I got over the nerves and just pounded the strike zone," said Camp, who hadn't pitched in eight days.

Both McHenry County College-bound left-handed starting pitchers were impressive. Lavrisa lasted 5⅔ scoreless innings without a decision. He limited Huntley (11-2, 3-1) to 4 hits, struck out 9 and walked 3. Morgan (4-1) likewise lasted 5⅔ innings and limited Jacobs to 4 hits. He struck out 8 and walked a pair.

"Both guys deserved an opportunity to win," Jakubowski said. "They showed why they're aces of both staffs. It was a very well-pitched game, an exciting game. They just did a little bit more than we did."

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