Mistakes cost Marmion in loss to Yorkville
Ryan Harris didn't sugarcoat it.
On a raw, gray Tuesday afternoon, Harris and Yorkville cobbled together a rally in their last at-bat that befitted the elements.
Harris drew a walk, the next two batters were hit by a pitch and the winning runs came across on an infield error. The Foxes scratched across five runs in the bottom of the sixth to beat visiting Marmion 6-4 in a game called by darkness after the two go-ahead runs scored on a dropped throw at first base with two outs in the sixth.
"It was nice to come back at the end," said Harris, an Edgewood College commit who scored the go-ahead run in the sixth and singled in Yorkville's first run in the fifth. "It was an ugly win, but a win is a win. We have to keep moving from here."
The Foxes (6-1) were shut out for four innings, part of a dandy of a pitcher's duel early between Marmion's Jack Zebig and Michael Hilker. Yorkville saw a bases-loaded, none-out threat in the fifth inning of a 1-1 game come up empty, but stuck with it and rallied after Marmion went ahead with three runs in the top of the sixth.
Connor Corrigan's leadoff single started the winning rally, and with two outs Nate Harris doubled in a run and Lorenzo Rios beat out an infield single to score Harris to make it 4-3. Ryan Harris' walk and two hit batters followed to tie it 4-4.
Isaiah Rodriguez bounced a routine grounder to third, but the throw was mishandled. First-year Yorkville coach Tom Cerven, acknowledging the struggle for most of the game, will take the win - and the lessons that come with it.
"It's good to struggle in these early games because it helps figure out who you are and the things you need to work on," Cerven said. "I think we have a high ceiling for this team, but there are obviously things we need to work on."
While Cerven's Foxes were gaining experience last week in a spring break trip to Alabama, Marmion (1-1) lost five games to the elements back in Illinois.
The Cadets could use the experience, with four juniors that played up as sophomores last year, a freshman at third base and a sophomore at shortstop. Marmion, held without a hit for four innings Tuesday, went ahead 4-1 in the sixth on Daniel Rios' two-run single and Ethan Flores' sacrifice fly.
The sophomore shortstop, Sam Seykora, went 2-for-3.
"We're learning, trying to understand that the details matter and in our league it really matters," Marmion coach Frank Chapman said. "You saw that tonight. It's a good learning experience."
Chapman and the Cadets will lean heavily on the experience and talent of four-year starter Zebig, a Maryville recruit.
Zebig had multiple starts bumped in the last week with postponements, but was sharp in his season debut. With an effective changeup mixed with his fastball, Zebig retired the first seven batters he faced and struck out six before giving way to Peter Lemke in the fifth after four straight Yorkville batters reached to tie it 1-1.
"He's going to compete," Chapman said. "He's got to be the senior leader for us. There are some little things to work on mechanically but he did a pretty good job. Changeup was working, curveball he's got to locate a little better but overall threw a very good game for the first start of the year."
Cerven was just as pleased with Hilker, a Wisconsin-Whitewater commit and the ace of what appears to be a deep Yorkville staff.
Hilker set down the first seven batters he faced and struck out five over three innings of work, allowing just one unearned run and two walks. Simon Skroch and winning pitcher Ben Hixon followed in relief, Hixon getting back-to-back strikeouts to get out of further trouble in the top of the sixth and set the stage for the Foxes' late rally.
"It's amazing how consistent [Hilker] is with locating and how consistent he is getting not just one pitch but multiple pitches over for strikes," Cerven said. "Anytime he is on the mound we have a lot of confidence. If we play good defense behind him we'll be in every ballgame. That's why he'll be out there on Mondays."