By Illinois Scouting Staff

Continue to check this page for updates on game recaps throughout the Metro East Kickoff Classic.

Day 3 – Saturday, March 18

Joliet Catholic 11, O’Fallon 1 (GCS Park)
Joliet Catholic jumped all over O’Fallon scoring seven runs in the first inning en route to an 11-1 five inning victory.

Joliet Catholic starter Antonio Saldana was in command from the opening pitch. Saldana struck out seven over five innings of work, at one point striking out four consecutive hitters. Saldana worked 88-90 mph in his first two innings and showed a sharp breaking slider with late action generating swings and misses.

Nick Iannantone, Jack Surin, Max Cullen, Justin Conant, and Greg Ziegler all delivered RBI hits in the first. Zeigler finished the day 3-3 with two doubles and three RBIs. 

St. Louis Marquette (MO) 11, Moline 5 (GCS Ballpark)
The Mustang bats were hot on Saturday afternoon going off for 11 runs on 11 hits, seven of which for multiple bases.

Sophomore shortstop Jake Hansen led the way with a 3-for-5 day, 3RBI and scoring two runs, Hansen also swiped two bags.

The middle of the Mustang order cleaned up where they were supposed to as three and four hole hitters Mason Mitchell and Brian Kindt paired up to drive in four runs on three doubles and a homerun off the bat of Kindt.

Niko Porcelli also added two doubles while scoring twice and driving in one.

For Moline, Brody Harding paced the offense with two hits and two RBI.

Edwardsville 6, Joliet Catholic 2 (Tom Pile Field, Edwardsville)
The Edwardsville Tigers took a combined no-hitter into the seventh inning on the arms of Andrew Yancik and Isaac Garrett. Yancik stared the game for the Tigers and went four innings of no-hit baseball striking out three. Garrett relieved Yancik in the fifth and worked two no-hit frame himself until the first batter of the seventh, Jack Naal, ended the no-hit bid.

Naal’s leadoff single sparked a minor rally for the Hilltoppers as they managed to scratch a pair of runs in the nine, giving the Tigers a late inning scare.

Edwardsville was led by speedy leadoff hitter, Dylan Burris. Burris set the tone early and often. Burris scored the first run of the game after his leadoff walk and a steal of third, Burris scored on a Joel Quirin single. Burris would finish the day 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, three runs scored and an RBI.

Joel Quirin also chipped in two hits while driving in two.

Oak Forest 6, Notre Dame 4 (GCS Park)
Jake Jones got the start for Oak Forest and worked four innings allowing six hits while striking out six to pick up the win for Oak Forest. Jones was also the teams leading hitter going 2-4 with two RBIs.

Oak Forest got on the board in the first thanks to an error. In the bottom half of the inning Notre Dame answered back when Justin Cisneroz reached on a fielders choice scoring Jack Kaplowitz, who singled to lead off the inning.

Notre Dame was trailing 6-3 in the seventh and pushed a run across to make it 6-3. With two on and one away Trevor Hausherr struckout the final two hitter to pick up the save for the Bengals.

Max Rimac finished the day 3-4 with a double for the Dons.

St. Louis University 15, Harrisburg 9 (GCS Park)
St. Louis University took home the 15-9 victory in a high scoring affair. SLU was lead at the plate by Louis Garavaglia, who went 1-2 with four RBIs. Garvaglia came to bat in the fourth with the bases and doubled over the outfielders head to clear the bases. Cade Hohl chipped in going 2-3 with a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored.

Harrisburg made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh scoring 6 times to make it 15-9, but a caught stealing ended the game.

Plainfield South 2, St. Louis Marquette 0 (O’Fallon HS)
RHP Jordan Mikel led No. 2 Plainfield South to a 2-0 victory over St. Louis Marquette, throwing six-innings of shutout baseball. Mikel, a senior, Western Illinois commit, kept Mustang hitters off balance throughout with a steady mix of breaking balls. He finished with 10 strikeouts and only allowed one hit. The 6-foot-5, 175-pound, long and lean right-hander sat 84-85 mph early on and settled in at 80-82 mph.

Plainfield South captured the lead in the first inning when 2B Konnor Ash hit an RBI single. That run would be all the Cougars would need to come away with the win thanks to the job by Mikel on the mound.

St. Louis Marquette threatened in the seventh against the Plainfield South bullpen. Marquette had runners on first and second with one out but lined a ball to second baseman Ash. Ash caught it and threw to first for the game ending double play.

Cody Phillips, Jordan Mikel, Antonio Gutierrez, Marco Escobar and Ash each had a hit for the Cougars.

Niles Notre Dame, 4, Normal West 2 (O’Fallon HS)
Niles Notre Dame jumped on Normal West early scoring four runs in the first two innings and came away with a 4-2 victory. Jackson Kaplowitz played a major role scoring a run in the first and driving in two with a single in the second inning.

LHP Alec Van Pelt earned the win for Niles Notre Dame. He went five innings, giving up one run, four hits, and striking out two. RHP Mark Kutschke picked up the save, recording the final six outs of the game.

RHP McCade Brown took the loss for Normal West despite striking out five in 3.2 innings of work.

Kaplowitz led the way for Niles Notre Dame offensively going 2-for-3 with a run and two RBI.

Caleb Jacobs and Jake Marti each had two hits for Normal West.

Normal West 11, Oak Forest 1 (5 innings) (O’Fallon HS)
Peyton Dillingham led Normal West to a 11-1 (5 inning) victory over Oak Forest. Dillingham drove in seven runs on three hits, two home runs, one being a grand slam.

Oak Forest jumped on top in the first with a solo homerun from OF Josh Boger but that was the lone run they would score.

Normal West tied up the score at one in the bottom of the first due to an Oak Forest error. Then they took the lead for good in the bottom of the third when Dillingham hit his first of two home runs, this one a two run shot to deep right-center field, taking a 3-1 lead.

The Normal West continued where they left off in the fourth inning scoring five more runs to break the game open. With two outs, leading 4-1 and the bases loaded Dillingham drove a ball over the right-field wall for a grand slam. The big shot gave Normal West an 8-1 lead. The Wildcats would go on to score three more in the fifth, to defeat Oak Forest 11-1. Dillingham added to sensational game by delivering the game-winning RBI.

RHP Austin Collinson picked up the win on the mound for Normal West going five innings, allowing one run, five hits, struck out four and didn’t walk anyone.

Normal West had 12 hits in the game. Dillingham, Jake Marti, and Nick Watson each collected multiple hits.

 

DAY 2 - FRIDAY, MARCH 17

No. 2 Plainfield South 8, Mt. Zion 4 (GCS Park)
In the first game of the day, Plainfield South defeated Mt. Zion 8-4.

Mt. Zion jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Plainfield South Answered back with four in the bottom half and never trailed the rest of the way. Nick Enlow lead the Cougars offense going 2-3 with two RBIs and a double. Trey Stewart chipped in going 1-3 with a triple and three RBIs.

Trevor Durand and Mitchell Binder each had an RBI for Mt. Zion.

No. 8 Chatham Glenwood 1, Joliet Catholic 0 (GCS Park)
The second game of the day at GCS Park pitted Chatham Glenwood and Joliet Catholic. This game matched up top some top ranked 2018 arms in Jacob Maton of Glenwood and Aidan Tyrell of Joliet Catholic. The matchup lived up to the hype as both pitchers worked scoreless outings. Maton lasted 5 innings allowing just five hits while striking out five. Tyrell worked four innings allowing two hits, three free passes, and struck out four.

With the game scoreless in the seventh, Todd Fowler singled off JCA reliever Zach Gould to drive home Karson Aherin with the game winning run.

Normal West 7, Joliet Catholic 2 (GCS Park)
Normal West put up a four spot in the first inning en route to a 7-2 victory over Joliet Catholic.

Austin Schwartz delivered the big hit in the first inning on a two run single. Jacob Marti and Jeffery Crutcher had RBI singles in the first inning. Nick Watson got the start for the Wildcats and struck out seven over four innings of work.

NO. 14 EDWARDSVILLE 4, NO. 2 PLAINFIELD SOUTH 2
Edwardsville scored three runs in the bottom of the second and one in the fifth to take down preseason No. 2 Plainfield South. The Tigers of Edwardsville were trailing 2-0 and had two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the second inning and proceeded to score three runs.  Plainfield South starter Konnor Ash, a Missouri commit, struck out the first two hitters and struck out the third but the pitch got away from the catcher, allowing the runner to reach first. A few batters later, senior OF Dylan Burris delivered the big blow of the game, lining a 3-2 fastball into the left-center field gap for a two-run double which gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead. That would be all the Tigers would need as they held Plainfield South scoreless the rest of the game.

Edwardsville got a solid start from Senior right-handed pitcher Andrew Frank. Frank, who picked up the win, went four innings, allowed two hits, two runs, none of them earned. Senior LHP Dan Picchiotti and senior SS/RHP Kade Burns combined to throw the final three innings and did not allow a hit. Burns struck out four in his 1.2 inning save.

Plainfield South manufactured two runs in the top of the second inning to take the early lead. 3B Trey Stewart reached on a fielder’s choice, stole a base and would later score on an error and Jordan Mikel drove in the second run with a sacrifice fly to center field.

Edwardsville’s fourth and final run of the game came from freshman clean-up hitter Drake Westcott. Left-handed hitting Westcott smoked a homerun that easily cleared the right-center field wall.

Ash, Plainfield South’s starter struck out eight Tiger hitters in his three innings of work.

CIVIC MEMORIAL 3, BELLEVILLE EAST 2 (EDWARDSVILLE HS)
Senior LHP Brandon Hampton went the distance on the mound and led Civic Memorial to a 3-2 win over Belleville East. The southpaw pounded the strike zone throughout the contest keeping his pitch count down. Hampton gave up two hits, two runs, none earned, struck out four and walked one.

Civic Memorial got on the board with one run in the top of the first off Belleville East’s talented left-handed pitcher Ben Cruikshank. Cruikshank walked the first Eagle hitter of the game, Brandon Hampton and he later came around to score on a wild pitch.

The game remained scoreless until the top of the sixth when Civic Memorial pinch-hitter Hayden Sontag drove a fastball up in the zone and deposited it over the left field wall for a two-run homerun. The deep shot gave the Eagles a 3-0 lead at the time.

Belleville East threatened in the bottom of the sixth and cut the lead to 3-2 without getting a hit but Hampton was able to keep it at that.

Cruikshank’s final line was four innings, two hits, one earned run, three walks and three strikeouts.

O’Fallon 9, Moline 0 (Blazier Field)
Junior RHP Brayden Arnold had a day of O’Fallon. Arnold worked six scoreless innings on the mound allowing only one Moline baserunner to reach second base, he struck out six while scattering three hits.

Helping his own cause, Arnold broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with an RBI triple to open the floodgates for the Panthers. He later doubled home another run in the fifth.

Arnold’s run scoring triple led to nine unanswered runs in the next 14 O’Fallon batters over two innings, opening a 9-0 deficit which ended up the game’s final line.

The O’Fallon offense was led by Arnold, Chase Hackstadt and Jacob Dreyer who each chipped in with two hits. Hackstadt had a pair of doubles leading to three RBI and two runs scored. Dreyer drove in three runs as well.

Moline junior Nick Drobushevich finished with two hits in three at-bats for the Maroon offense.

Niles Notre Dame 7, Harrisburg 0 (Blazier Field)
Notre Dame blanked Harrisburg 7-0 behind LHPs Max Rimac and Charlie Anderson. Rimac started the game and looked sharp, striking out nine in 3.2 innings while scattering just three hits. Anderson picked up Rimac in relief, striking out six in his 3.1 innings of work.

The Dons offense scored early and often tallying five runs in the first two innings. Frank Giamarusti got the scoring started with a two RBI double in the first. Giamarusti double again later in the game capping a 2-for-3 night with two RBI.

Junior Jackson Kaplowitz was the other standout offensively for the Dons, Kaplowitz went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored.

Carson Burtis tallied two hits for Harrisburg.

 

DAY 1 - THURSDAY, MARCH 16

Benton 5, Salem 2 (Blazier Field, O'Fallon, IL)
Benton pulled ahead for good in the top of the second inning, scoring four runs on one hit in the frame and eventually defeated Salem by a score of 5-2. Trailing 1-0 entering the top of the second, the Benton Rangers loaded the bases with no outs thanks to three straights walks. Next up was designated hitter Zach Avery and he delivered a two-run single. Avery would later score the fourth run of the inning thanks to an RBI groundout by Page Hamilton.

The Rangers would tack on an insurance run in the fifth inning thanks to a run-scoring groundout by Bryden Picklesimer.

Junior left-handed pitcher Ian McMahon started the game and got the win on the mound for the Rangers. McMahon went five innings allowing one earned run.

Salem took a 1-0 lead on Benton in the bottom of the first inning. Right fielder Brendan Boles led off the frame with a single and would later score on a two out single to left field by Zach Consolino, which came on an 0-2 pitch. Salem loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth trailing 5-1 and had their three-hole hitter at the plate. McMahon, however, was able to induce a 5-4-3 double play and strike out the following hitter to limit the damage to one run. That kept the Benton lead at 5-2 which held up as the final score.

Civic Memorial 5, Mt. Vernon 2 (Tom Pile Field, Edwardsville, IL)
Civic Memorial junior RHP, Geoff Withers got his season off on the right foot on Thursday. Withers, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound righty held the Rams to one unearned run over six innings while striking out six to pick up the win.

Civic Memorial got on the board early in the top of the first scratching a run after a leadoff walk to center fielder Brandon Hampton who came around to score on a passed ball. The Eagles would score twice more in the fourth, coaxing four free passes in the inning, and two more runs in the fifth capped by an RBI single off the bat of Spencer Powell. Powell finished the contest 1-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.

Gage Burroughs went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored for Mt. Vernon.

Alton vs. Carbondale (Grizzlie Stadium, Sauget, IL)
In the first game of the Kick Off Classic Alton took down Carbondale 11-1. Alton was held scoreless through the first three frames by Carbondale starter Ryne McCoy. The Redbirds broke through in the fourth scoring twice, highlighted by an RBI single from Ben Mossman. Carbondale answered in the fourth when Skyler Peterman doubled with one out and came around to score on an RBI groundout from Zach Beckmann.

Alton put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth when they scored six times highlighted by a two run single from Simon Nguyen. The Redbirds added two more in the sixth and one in the seventh to push it to 11-1.

Belleville East vs. Columbia (Grizzlie Stadium, Sauget, IL)
In the second game of the day at GCS Park, Columbia scored three times over the final two frames to walk off against Belleville East 3-2.

With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Dylan Hildebrand reached on an attempted sacrifice bunt with one away. Hildebrand stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a strike out and a walk put runners at the corners with two out, lead off man Brennen van Breusegen hit a walk off single to give the Eagles the 3-2 victory.

Belleville jumped out to an early lead scoring a run in the third on an RBI double by Evan Lawrence. The Lancers added on in the top of the sixth thanks to a double steal that scored Jordan Phillips.

Columbia tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning thanks to a two out two-run single by Sam Spivey.

O'Fallon vs. Chatham-Glenwood (Grizzlie Stadium, Sauget, IL)
In the highly anticipated nightcap pitting No. 9 O’Fallon vs. No. 8 Chatham-Glenwood lived up to the hype with O’Fallon taking home the 1-0 victory.

Chatham starter Reid Detmers did not disappoint in his first start of the season in front of a large number of MLB Scouts. Detemers worked four innings striking out 11 hitters, while allowing three hits and two walks. Detmers ran his fastball up to 91 mph and featured his typical sharp breaking curveball at 72-75 mph.

Not to be outdone by Detmers, O’Fallon starter Hayden Juenger worked 4.1 scoreless innings while striking out five. Juenger sat in the mid to upper 80s with his fastball touching 90 mph early in the contest.

Juenger and Logan Boente combined on a three-hitter and O’Fallon pushed across a run in the top of the seventh to win. Jacob Dreyer doubled home courtesy runner Christian Koechner for the game’s lone run with two outs in the seventh.