Baseball: Hampshire's Ernst shuts down Crystal Lake South
One of the last things Hampshire baseball coach Frank Simoncelli wanted to do was end pitcher Austin Ernst's masterpiece by taking him out.
Ernst was in complete control against Crystal Lake South and had five perfect innings, as well as a comfortable lead, heading into the seventh.
But Ernst was at 92 pitches and showed signs of fatigue with his first two three-ball counts of the game.
"I said, 'Listen, we're still good,' " Simoncelli said. "He said, 'No hard feelings.' "
Ernst walked to the dugout with the proper applause from Whip-Purs fans, and left-handed reliever Jack Schane got the final two outs in Hampshire's 9-2 Fox Valley Conference victory over the Gators on Friday.
"I was locked in all game until the seventh inning," Ernst said. "I think something in my mind changed. I just wanted the win so bad and wanted to go all the way, but I just couldn't get (the complete game). But it's all right."
Ernst (3-0) was not overpowering, with only four strikeouts, but he was in the strike zone the entire game, and South (10-2, 4-2 FVC) did not make a lot of solid contact.
Ernst struck out South's Dayton Murphy on three pitches to start the game and felt great from there.
"I was just focused on going inside, trying to jam them a lot, get the ball on the ground, anywhere they can catch, where my fielders can do their job," Ernst said. "Just keep it low. Just trying to move it around the strike zone, change the eye level and let them hit it, but not let them hit it hard. That was the biggest thing."
Ernst owns an ERA of 0.79 and a WHIP of 0.849.
"I think he was wearing down a little bit there, just in the legs," Simoncelli said. "He pitched a heck of a game for us. He was attacking the zone. I looked at his pitch count, and he was 57 in the fifth inning. He was working the counts, and they were kind of swinging defensively."
Hampshire (7-5, 3-3) got a big boost early from Colin Miller with a two-run homer in the second. Dom Kooistra ripped a two-run shot two innings later. Kooistra wanted to atone for not coming up with a throw in the dirt in the top of the third.
Shortstop Dom Borecky's throw was low in the dirt, but Kooistra felt he should have had it. If the Whips had gotten that out, Ernst might have faced the minimum through six innings.
"I wasn't the most happy with myself dropping that ball at first base and said, 'I'm going to get those back for you,' " Kooistra said. "He gave me one I could get a hold of. A little wind help, but, you know, play the weather.
"You know with Austin on the mound he's going to take care of the defensive side. He was just dealing today. That's probably one of the best games I've seen him pitch. If I can get it going on the offensive side and bring some energy to the dugout, and the other guys got going too.
"It takes a whole team."
Kooistra was 4 for 4 with a double, homer and four RBIs. Borecky was 2 for 3 with an RBI and three runs.
Ernst was so efficient that he entered the sixth inning having thrown 57 pitches.
"He did a nice job throwing a lot of strikes today, just filling it up and gave his defense a chance to make plays," Gators coach Brian Bogda said. "Credit to him, he did an excellent job.
"They made the plays, he just did a nice job throwing strikes early in the count. It's bound to happen, ebbs and flows of the season, we'll bounce back and get it tomorrow."