By Sean Duncan

ST. CHARLES – St. Charles East stayed atop the Upstate 8 River Division standings with a 3-1 victory Tuesday over Batavia in a refreshingly zippy 90-minute game that included the seemingly lost art of fundamental defense and the strike pitch.

The entire affair was generally well-played. Others, who may not be striving for diplomacy, could even have called the game a snoozer. Whatever, St. Charles East (12-6, 9-3) scored all three runs in the bottom of the fifth to erase a 1-0 hole. Batavia dropped to 10-8, 8-5 in league play.

Enough of that.

Scout Notes:

• Here’s the most important revelation I walked away with from the game: St. Charles East junior Joe Hoscheit is my favorite uncommitted Class of 2013 outfield prospect in Illinois. There’s little not to like about Hoscheit. At a muscular 6-foot, 205 pounds, he’s built like a collegiate linebacker and has the speed of a fullback. In fact, those are the two positions Hoscheit plays in football. Hoscheit, who is currently ranked No. 18 in the Class of 2013, is physical, athletic and possesses a quiet, power-packed swing from the right side. On Tuesday, when the Saints’ offense struggled early on, Hoscheit did not. He finished 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI. He just missed a grand slam when he crushed a ball to the deepest part of the park, settling for a very long, well-struck sacrifice fly. Hoscheit also showed his athleticism when he made a long run in left field, dove in foul territory to make the catch despite colliding with the sliding shortstop. Hoscheit, who was selected to participate in the PBR Midwest Future Games, powered by Under Armour, last August, is also a top-level student. He currently holds a 5.56 GPA on a 5-point scale.

• Hoscheit’s sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1. Senior 1B John Hondlik followed with a two-run double to centerfield to break the game open. The 6-foot-5 Hondlik is committed to John A. Logan JC as a RHP.

• St. Charles East’s three-run fifth made a winner out of senior LHP Kyle Manske (5-0), who pitched a complete game. Manske, who’s committed to Black Hawk College, allowed five hits, struck out two and walked three. Manske’s fastball was in the 80-84 range for most of the game.

• Both teams’ junior shortstops – St. Charles East’s Nicholas Erickson and Batavia’s Billy Zwick - took crisp, impressive pre-games and continued to look solid in the field during the contest.

• Keep an eye on Batavia sophomore INF Micah Coffey. The younger brother of former Batavia standout Jordan Coffey, Micah is an athletically built 6-foot-2 left-handed hitter who’s hitting third for the Bulldogs.