BY DRAKE SKLEBA
SENIOR WRITER

Games from March 29

Southwestern

No. 28 O’Fallon 4, Belleville East 1
O’Fallon (4-4; 1-0) opened up Southwestern Conference play with a 4-1 win over Belleville East at Blazier Field in O’Fallon on Friday. Senior RHP Ethan Wilde (1-0) allowed one unearned run and two hits in 4 1/3 innings of work to pick up the win. Junior RHP Ty Herbert shut down the Lancers over the last 2 2/3 innings to nail down his first save of the season. Senior Tanner Hudson and juniors Jeff Hahs and Blake Deatherage, had RBI singles for O’Fallon.

Belleville West 2, No. 32 Edwardsville 1
Belleville West (5-1; 1-0) opened up Southwestern Conference play with a thrilling 2-1 win at Edwardsville on Friday. The Maroons scored twice in the top of the seventh inning to erase a 1-0 Tiger lead. Edwardsville (3-1; 0-1) suffers its first loss of 2013.

Nonconference

Palatine 7, No. 26 Huntley 6
Palatine (1-2) grabbed a 7-1 lead in this one after four innings and withstood a late Huntley come-back to win its first game of 2013. Huntley (2-1) scored five times in the sixth but a fell a run short to suffere its first defeat of the season. Junior Kyle Sable led the Red Raider attack with two hits and two RBI. 

No. 32 Edwardsville 8, No. 17 Moline 1
Edwardsville (4-1; 0-1) exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth to blow past the highly-rated Maroons, in the Tigers second game of the day at Tom Pile Field in Edwardsville.

No. 45 Troy-Triad 3, Lakes 1
Troy-Triad (4-0) dispatched its visitors from Lake Bluff 3-1 on Friday in Troy. Senior C Keaton Wright and Cody Massey had RBI for the Knights. Senior RHP Jordan Felax (3-0) allowed one unearned runs and scattered six hits to pick up the win. Senior JT Barras pitched the seventh to nail down his second save of the season.

Highland 3, Breese Central 0
Highland (1-0) opened up its 2013 campaign with a 3-0 victory over previously undefeated Breese Central (3-1). Bulldog senior Jake Harberer (1-0) allowed two hits in his four scoreless innings to pick up the win. Sophomore Grant Geppert and junior Dillon Dieselhorst combined for three no-hit innings of relief with Dieselhorst having a 1-2-3 seventh to pick up the save.

Waterloo 6, Murphysboro 1
Waterloo (5-0) scored four in the second and single runs in the third and fourth and coasted to a 6-1 win over Murphysboro (0-4). Juniors Austin Nunnery (2-0) and Jeremy Rettig  shut down the Red Devil bats. Nunnery allowed one run and two hits in his four innings of work with seven strikeouts. Rettig fired three scoreless innings of relief allowing one hit with three strikeouts.

Collinsville 2, Mascoutah 1
Collinsville (4-0) edged Mascoutah 2-1 on Friday at Mascoutah. The Kahoks broke up a 1-1 tie with a run in the top of the sixth, making a winner of junior Elijah Thiel (1-0). Senior Chris Mathes doubled in the fateful sixth and a sac-fly by Austin McEwen won it for the Kahoks.

Granite City 5, Rock Falls 0
Granite City (3-3) blanked Rock Falls 5-0 behind a combined one-hitter from Warrior sophomore Ryan Steen (2-0) and junior Austin Buzich. Steen allowed the one hit in his five innings of work Steen struck out four. Buzich was lights-out, striking out five of the six men he faced.

McHenry 4-4, No. 13 Rockton Hononegah 3, 7
The Warriors stunned the 12^th ranked Indians in the opener 4-3. McHenry (2-2) was led by Kyle Snedeker and Drew Reisinger who each doubled home Warrior runs. Warrior Bob Nagle fired three scoreless innings to pick up the win in relief.

In game two Rockton Hononegah (1-1) rallied from a 4-0 deficit to gain a split for the day.

Junior Adrian Marquez led the Indian comeback with three hits including his first home run of the season. Marquez plated a pair for Hononegah SIU-bound senior1B Jack Granath chipped in with two hits and two RBI for the Indians. McHenry was led by Jordan Witbeck and Devon Gehrke, who both had two hits and an RBI. 

No. 37 Lincoln-Way West 10-8, Peotone 0-5
The Warriors opened up their 2013 campaign with a sweep of Peotone on Friday. Lincoln-Way West (2-0) won the opener 10-0 in five innings. The Warriors were led by Connor Hogan and Luke Morgan. Hogan had two hits, including a triple and drove in two. Morgan also had two hits and had an RBI. Ryan Novak (1-0) fired 3 2/3 of hitless baseball with eight strikeouts and five walks to pick up the win on the mound.

In game two, the Warriors jumped out to an 8-1 lead and had to survive a Peotone comeback

winning 8-5, to complete the sweep. Warrior Nick Andrade had the hit of them game when he tripled with the sacks full in the first inning. Morgan had a day with a pair of hits and two RBI in game two. L-W West starting and winning pitcher John Saffrahn (1-0) allowed a run and two hits in four innings to pick up the win.

No. 1 Lyons Township 4, No. 7 Naperville Central 3 (From March 28)
Top-ranked Lyons Township (2-1) slipped past Naperville Central 4-3 in a game in Western Springs on Thursday morning. University of Michigan-bound RHP Keith Lehmann (2-0) fired a one-hitter at the Redhawks. Lehmann allowed three runs of which two were earned. The future Wolverine struck out 10. Lion seniors 1B Tom Prescott and RF Mike Lorenz, had RBI singles in the big three-run Lion fifth inning. Junior LF Max Larsen singled home the third run of the inning.

Naperville Central’s starting senior RHP Jimmy Nashert shutout the top-ranked Lions in his four quality innings of work. Nashert allowed two hits and struck six.

No. 42 Joliet West 8, No. 48 Andrew 7
In a battle between two PBR Power 50 teams, Joliet West outslugged Andrew 8-7 on the west side of Joliet on Friday. Tiger first baseman Justin Jackson sent everyone among the Tiger contingent home happy when he singled home the game-winner in the bottom of the seventh. Joliet West (2-1) will face cross-town rival Joliet Central (0-1) today at 9 at Ed Flink Field in Lockport. The Tigers and the Steelmen will meet in a consolation semifinal of the 9^th Annual WJOL Area Invitational Tournament. The winner will move on to Silver Cross Field in Joliet, to play in the 5^th place game at 2:30. The loser will play at Silver Cross for 7^th at 12:15.

No. 50 Crystal Lake South 15, Machesney Park Harlem 0 (five innings)

The Gators Chomp! Chomp, destroyed Machesney Park Harlem 15-0 in five innings on Friday. It was the season-opener for both schools. Crystal Lake South’s senior RHP Tyler Hall (1-0) fired a no-hitter at the Huskies with five strikeouts. Gator senior Jake Bigos had three hits, including a pair of doubles and plated four Gator runs to lead the defending FVC-Valley champs to victory. Junior C Casey Oliver had a perfect four-for-four day with three RBI. Senior Troy Bittenbender also had a four-for-four day at the plate with an RBI. Senior Max Meitzler drove home three with a pair of hits and senior 3B Tommy Gaede chipped in with four runs scored and two RBI.

Normal U-High 11, ROVA 0 (5innings)

The defending Class 2A state champions from Normal U-High crushed ROWVA 11-0, in the Pioneer season-opener on Friday.  Pioneer Tim McGowan plated three for U-High with a clutch two-run single and walked with the bases loaded. McLean Conklin added two hits and two RBI. Zach Zook and Mitch Bottorff each plated two Pioneer runs. Bottorff had a double.

The beneficiary of the Pioneer offensive onslaught was starting and winning pitcher Travis Auer (1-0). Auer fired a two-hitter with eight strikeouts as the Pioneers won their opening-round game in the Streak Invitational in Galesburg.

Stagg 1, Richards 0
Stagg (3-3) squeaked past Richards 1-0 on Friday morning in Palos Hills. Charger sophomore Jeff Goral and senior Sean Dwyer, combined for a three-hit shutout for Stagg. Goral went the first five innings allowing two hits with six strikeouts. Dyer nailed down the save with two scoreless innings of relief, Charger junior Pete Angelos doubled home the only run of the game in the fourth. Richards falls to 3-3.

Herscher 5, Gardner-South Wilmington 0
Herscher (2-0-1) rolled past Gardner South Wilmington 5-0 behind an outstanding performance from Tiger junior RHP Blake Patchett (1-0). Patchett struck out eight in his six scoreless innings of work. Red-hot Braden Muhlstadt had three hits and three RBI to lead the Tigers attack,

No. 47 Mundelein 11, Carbondale 1 (From March 28)
Mundelein (4-0) continued their path of destruction of Southern Illinois. On Thursday, in Carbondale (4-4-1), Mundelein destroyed the host Terriers 11-1 in five innings. The Mustangs have outscored their four spring-trip opponents 41-7.
 
Carlyle 6, Okawville 5 (From March 28) The Indians improved to 7-1 with a thrilling 6-5 win over Okawville (0-4) on Thursday. Senior C Kyle Jackson led the Indian attack with a pair of doubles and four RBI. Senior Cody Huels (1-1) fired five no-hit innings, with eight strikeouts, to pick up the win in relief.

Geneva 13, Marmion 10 (From March 28)
Geneva (3-1) stunned Marmion with an eight-run seventh inning to blow past the Cadets 13-10 in a game played in Aurora on Thursday. Viking senior 3B Mike Endriukitis went deep and singled in the eight-run Viking seventh. Endriukitis finished with three hits and four RBI. Senior Bobby Hess added a pair of hits and an RBI. Senior 2B Luke Polishak and senior Brock Chenier chipped in with two hits and RBI each. Chenier scored three times and Polishak twice.

Endriukitis nailed down the save for Viking winning pitcher sophomore Ben Slattery in the bottom of the seventh.  

Grayslake Central 10, Wausau West (WI) 1 (From March 28)
Grayslake Central (3-1) smashed Wausau West 10-1 in a game played on Thursday. Ram junior catcher Freddi Landers, led the Ram attack with two hits and two RBI. Junior Matt Loeffl had three hits, including a double and drove home a Ram run. Sophomore Justin Guryn (1-0) picked up the win on the mound for Grayslake Central. Marmion falls to 1-1.

Libertyville 8, Chatham (CO) 7
The Wildcats improved to 3-1 with a thrilling 8-7 victory over their Rocky Mountain State opponents from Chatham, CO. The game was played in Phoenix, Arizona where Wildcat junior C Evan Skoug enjoyed the dry desert air. The hard-hitting Libertyville catcher had four hits and drove home a pair for the Wildcats.

Agricultural Science Academy 14, Robeson 1 (5 innings)
The Cyclones improved to 3-0 with a 14-1 demolition of Robeson on Friday.

Thornridge 6, Agricultural Science Academy 5
In their second game of the day on Friday, the Cyclones suffered their first loss of the season 6-5 to Thornridge (1-0). Ag Science went the distance for the Cyclones striking out seven.

Taft 7, Washington 6
In a Jackie Robinson crossover affair, Taft (3-0) slipped past Washington 7-6 on Friday. Junior Francisco Ayapan led the Taft (3-0 attack with a pair of RBI.

Willowbrook 9, Metea Valley 2
The Warriors opened up the 2013 season in style with a 9-2 smashing of Metea Valley on Friday. Warrior senior RHP Kevin Johnson (1-0) fired three scoreless innings to pick up the win on the mound. Willowbrook (1-0) was led at the plate by senior Gabe Gage, junior Brian Johnson and sophomore Jake Cady, who each had two hits for the Warriors.

Rich Central 11, Argo 3

Rich Central (2-0) was led by senior 1B Matt Cole, who had three hits including his first round-tripper of the season with two ‘mates aboard and had five RBI. Senior Nolan Bullock also went deep for Rich Central and chipped in with two hits and two RBI.

Southwestern
Belleville West 2, No. 32 Edwardsville 1 (Game info 3-30 Roundup)

No. 28 O’Fallon 5, Belleville East 1 (Game info 3-30 Roundup

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